Laserfiche WebLink
Reclamation and Liability <br />Mining operations have been completed at the Yeast Mine. The North and South Area pits have all been <br />entirely backfilled and graded, topsoil has been redistributed and seeding and planting has been <br />completed for the majority of the mine site. Since the approval of RN3, SCC has submitted a Phase II <br />bond Release application (SL3) and a Phase I bond release application (SL4). For SL3, the applicant <br />requested Phase II release on 628.6 acres of reclaimed land. The Division partially approved SL3 for 592 <br />acres. In May of 2011, landslides had occurred in the area resulting in the Division excluding three areas <br />of instability from the SL3 application. The Division excluded a segment of permanent channel YPM 5- <br />1, portions of the Neck Pit area where a landslide occurred and a landslide area near Pond 013. <br />For SL4, the applicant requested Phase I bond release on 171.6 acres of reclaimed land. The Division <br />partially approved SL4 for 115.5 acres. Areas that were excluded from the SL4 bond release approval <br />include: the dragline walk /county road detour on the north end of the permit area where Routt county <br />constructed a new roundabout, the YPM -13 drainage channel, Topsoil Stockpiles A and C, the YPM -20 <br />drainage channel, the unnamed road corridor connecting LU -5 and LU 31B, light use roads LU -4 and LU- <br />5, the Pond 012 watershed, Pond 013 and Pond 014. For the exact locations and for details about the <br />reasoning of these excluded areas for SL3 and SL4 please see the Proposed Decision and Findings <br />documents for these applications. <br />As indicated above, in May of 2011 landslides occurred in several areas within the Yoast Mine permit <br />boundary and within areas previously released from Phase I liability. Most of the instability was limited <br />in extent, with three exceptions; the Pond 012 slide area, the Neck Pit area, and an area east of Pond 013. <br />The Pond 012 area has not been approved for Phase I bond release, however the Pond 013 slide area and <br />the Neck Pit slide area had been release from Phase I liability during SL2. In July of 2011 the Division, <br />SCC and the Colorado Geological Survey evaluated all of the slide areas. It was determined that the best <br />course of action for the Pond 012 area was to implement the previously approved and nearly completed <br />remediation plan. The recommendation for the Neck Pit and Pond 013 areas was to essentially leave the <br />slide areas in their post movement configuration with minor manipulation to facilitate drainage and ensure <br />safety of the public and wildlife utilizing the area. The scarps of the Neck Pit and Pond 013 slides were <br />graded to lessen the slope to ensure that the areas could be safely traversed by wildlife and humans. Also <br />for the Neck Pit and Pond 013 slide areas, drainage channels were excavated to prevent saturation of the <br />slide mass. The toe areas were left intact to buttress the remaining undamaged uphill blocks. <br />Remediation work in all three areas was completed in the fall of 2011. <br />Due to the fact that the Pond 013 and Neck Pit slide areas were unstable and required regarding, the <br />Division required SCC to resume Phase I liability on those areas. On November 14, 2012 the Division <br />issues a proposed decision for a Surety Increase (SIl) at the Yoast Mine. This decision reinstated SCC's <br />liability for backfilling, grading and drainage reestablishment on 32.7 acres of instability for the Pond 013 <br />and the Neck Pit slide areas. The Division has not previously released SCC from Phase I bond release on <br />the Pond 012 slide area and the current bond estimate includes estimated costs for remediation work in <br />this area. <br />In summary, the Division's estimate of the cost to complete the remaining reclamation work at the site <br />includes the liability for backfilling and regrading work on the 136.08 acres that have not been Phase I <br />bond released, including the additional disturbed area associated with the Pond 013 slide; topsoil <br />redistribution on the 256.6 acres not yet Phase II released; complete reseeding of all 848.6 disturbed <br />areas; drillhole sealing, backfilling, regarding, and reseeding of the 2002 and 2003 exploration programs <br />(Minor Revisions 18 and 20); sealing monitoring wells, and required maintenance over the remaining <br />liability period. <br />2 <br />