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L PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS
<br />Seneca Coal Company, LLC applied for partial bond release under the Colorado Surface Coal
<br />Mining and Reclamation Act following reclamation of the Yoast Mine. The mine is located in
<br />Routt County, approximately 8.5 miles southeast of the town of Hayden, Colorado. The permit area
<br />location is depicted in Figure 1 of this document. The mine area is further described as:
<br />Township 6 North, Range 87 West
<br />Section 28: Portions ofNWl /4, NW1 /4 SW1 /4, SW1 /4NE1 /4
<br />Section 29: Portions ofEl /2 SE1 /4, SWIM SE1 /4
<br />Section 32: Portions ofNWl /4NE1 /4, W1 /2 E1 /2
<br />Township 5 North, Range 87 West
<br />Section 5: Portions of W1 /2 E1 /2
<br />Section 8: NW1 /4, SW1 /4, W1 /2 NE1 /4, W1 /2 SE1 /4
<br />Section 16: SW1 /4 NW1 /4, NW1 /4 SW1 /4, and portions of SW1 /4 SW1 /4, NW1 /4 NW1 /4,
<br />SE 1/4 NW 1/4, NE 1/4 SW 1/4, NW 1/4 SE 1/4
<br />Section 17: All
<br />Section 18: NE1 /4 SE1 /4, S1 /2 SE1 /4
<br />Section 19: E1 /2 and portions ofE1 /2 W1 /2
<br />Section 20: SW1 /4 NW1 /4, W1 /2 SW1 /4, N1 /2 NW1 /4, and portions ofNl /2 NE 1/4
<br />Section 29: NW 1/4 NW 1/4
<br />Section 30: N1 /2 NE1 /4
<br />Seneca Coal Company, LLC has requested Phase I bond release on the Yoast Access Road;
<br />Dragline Deadhead Route; Dragline Assembly/Disassembly Pad; Light Use Roads LU -1, LU -2,
<br />LU -3A, LU -313, LU -4, and LU -5; an unnamed road corridor extending from LU -5 to LU -313;
<br />drainage channels YPM -8, YPM -13, and YPM -20; the YPM -8 watershed; Stock Tank ST -1; Ponds
<br />010, 013, and 014, the Pond 012 watershed (excluding Ponds 012 and 012A), and Topsoil
<br />Stockpiles A, C, and I, and for structural demolition of all non - permanent facilities. The areas of
<br />request are identified in Exhibits A and A -1 of SCC's SL -4 Phase I Bond Release Application and
<br />on Figures 2a and 2b of this document. Seneca Coal Company, LLC requested Phase I bond release
<br />on 171.6 acres.
<br />The Division has previously approved three bond release applications at the Yoast Mine. SL -1,
<br />approved on March 6, 2007, released $11,862.00 of Phase I liability on 173.02 acres in the North
<br />Pit. SL -2, approved June 15, 2010, released $790,205.00 of Phase I liability on 456.7 acres in
<br />the South Pit and Neck Pit areas. SL -3, approved on January 18, 2012, released $1,693,918.00
<br />of Phase II liability on 592 acres in the North and South Pit areas. No Phase III bond release has
<br />been granted on any of the disturbance area. Table 1 of this document provides a detailed
<br />summary of previous bond release acreages and exclusions.
<br />Release was previously requested and denied (under the SL -2 application) for Topsoil Stockpile C,
<br />the YPM -8 and YPM -13 drainages, the YPM -8 watershed, and the upper portion of the Pond 012
<br />watershed (YPM 6 -2 and YPM -7 watersheds). The topsoil stockpile was ineligible for bond
<br />release because it had not been approved as a permanent feature. Erosion in the drainage channels
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<br />Yoast Mine SL -4
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