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Dear Mr. Banta: <br />TAIL <br />PEDEN <br />United States Department of the Inter MAMA <br />OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING <br />RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT <br />SUITE 310 <br />625 SILVER AVENUE, S.W. <br />ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO 87102 <br />Mr. Fred R. Banta, Director <br />Mined Land Reclamation Division <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />215 Centennial Building <br />1313 Sherman Street <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />March 20, 1991 <br />Re: March 8, 1991, Meeting on Mid - Continent Resources <br />MAR 2 2 1991 <br />mined Land <br />g afsiamation Division <br />■ <br />The Albuquerque Field Office (AFO) appreciated the opportunity to meet <br />with the Mined Land Reclamation Division (MLRD) and the other agencies <br />involved with the Mid - Continent Resources Coal Basin Mine. We would <br />like to follow up on several issues and questions that arose at that <br />meeting. <br />BOND. As noted at the meeting, AFO is concerned about several aspects <br />of Mid - Continent's bond, including the amount calculated for third party <br />reclamation. This includes reclamation of roads to the U.S. Forest <br />Service's post- mining standards. We are aware that you have <br />preliminarily reassessed the bond amount and are giving the company <br />until May 1, 1991, to submit recalculations. Because of the current <br />financial situation at the site and the potential inadequacies in the <br />bond amount, it is believed to be in the best interest of the Office of <br />Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), as the Federal copayee <br />on the bond, to review the amount of bond that should be required. <br />Therefore, AFO is requesting the Western Support Center's assistance in <br />this review. OSM will coordinate its review with MLRD. <br />It appears that the Mid - Continent properties that Garfield County has a <br />tax lien against does include the limestone plant that secures the <br />mine's self -bond (collateral bond). MLRD should verify the status of <br />this situation and have the Attorney General's Office assess the <br />ramifications. Additionally, for MLRD's information, the coal loadout <br />is known to be impacted by the tax lien. <br />EMERGENCY FUNDS. AFO considered the questions you raised at the meeting <br />and reiterates there are no Federal funds available should an <br />environmentally degrading situation evolve at the minesite that the <br />eler To: <br />