Laserfiche WebLink
The Division scheduled and conducted a bond release inspection on June 28, 2012. The site inspection <br />was conducted after the 30 day requirement of Rule 3.03.2(2) due to scheduling conflicts among all the <br />participants. Present for the field inspection were Basil Bear and Tamme Bishop representing BRL, <br />Howard Strand of the Office of Surface Mining, landowners Marvin Pavlisick and Carolyn & Tom <br />McKee. Sandra Brown and Marcia Talvitie represented the Division. <br />I. PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS <br />Bowie Resources LLC (BRL) has filed a Surety Release application (SL -4) for the Bowie No. 1 Mine <br />pursuant to the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act (Section 34 -33 -1125 and Rule 3.03) and <br />the Rules promulgated thereunder. The Bowie No. 1 Mine was an underground mine which had been in <br />operation since 1975 but is now undergoing reclamation. The mine was originally called the Orchard <br />Valley Mine and the original applicant was Colorado Westmoreland, Inc. (CWI). <br />The Orchard Valley Mine (Bowie No. 1 Mine) permit application was originally submitted on <br />September 30, 1977 and was determined to be complete on October 7, 1977. The permit application was <br />approved by the Mined Land Reclamation Board under the interim program on April 27, 1978. A <br />modified permit application to comply with the proposed Colorado Permanent Regulatory Program was <br />submitted on June 18, 1979 and revised on February 27, 1981. The Division then published its proposed <br />decision approving the application August 20, 1981. The Permanent Program Permit No. C- 038 -81 was <br />issued on September 24, 1981. <br />This is the fourth bond release application for the Bowie No. 1 Mine. BRL submitted an application for <br />a partial phase one bond release (SL -1) on March 16, 2001 for partial structural demolition work at the <br />East Mine and structural demolition and backfilling and grading work at the West Mine. The application <br />was withdrawn at the request of BRL on June 28, 2002. <br />On September 24, 2002, BRL submitted SL -2 requesting Phase I bond release for several areas of the <br />mine. At the West Mine portal bench area, bond release was requested for complete structural <br />demolition, mine portal sealing and backfill and grading of the upper portion of the mine area. At the <br />West Mine fan area, BRL requested bond release for limited structural demolition work and the sealing <br />of the vent shaft. At the East Mine, BRL requested bond release for the limited structural demolition at <br />the facilities area, for disposal of the coal waste at the temporary coal waste stockpile and for work done <br />at the West Ridge waste pile. BRL also requested bond release for the removal of coal at the highway <br />temporary coal stockpile. SL -2 was approved on April 9, 2004. <br />BRL applied for a second partial phase one bond release (SL -3) on June 26, 2007. The requested bond <br />release was for structural demolition and removal of most of the facilities at the unit train loadout. The <br />loadout structures that were demolished included the concrete silos, railcar loading structure, overhead <br />conveyors, truck dump, a section of rail line and other associated structures. The entire structural <br />demolition and removal offsite of the resulting material took place from September of 2006 to January of <br />2007. SL -3 was approved on February 22, 2008. See Figure 2 at the end of this document for all areas <br />Phase 1 Bond Released at the Bowie 1 Mine Site. <br />The Division presently holds a surety performance bond in the amount of $5,761,290.00 of which <br />3 <br />