Laserfiche WebLink
�NENT OF ty <br />United States Department of the Interior <br />OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING <br />Reclamation and Enforcement <br />ARCH 3• �$ <br />Western Region Office <br />1999 Broadway, Suite 3320 <br />Denver, CO 80202-3050 <br />December 5, 2017 RECEIVED <br />Mike Boulay DEC 0 ES 2017 <br />Coal Program Supervisor Division of Reclamation, <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Mining & Safety <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />OF SURFgCF <br />O G� 2JZG� <br />A �- <br />m 2 <br />9l�ONAND ENFO <br />Re: Partial Phase I Bond Release Application SL -11, Tri-State Generation and Transmission <br />Association, Inc., Colowyo Mine, C-1981-019 <br />Dear Mr. Boulay, <br />This letter acknowledges the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), <br />Denver Field Branch's (DFB) receipt and review of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and <br />Safety's (DRMS) November 13, 2017 Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance pertaining to Tri- <br />State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.'s (Tri-State) SL -11 Phase I bond release <br />application. OSMRE agrees with the proposed decision and hereby provides concurrence in accordance <br />with 30 CFR 740.15 (d)(3) and 30 CFR 906.30, Article IX, Section 24 of the State -Federal Cooperative <br />Agreement. <br />DFB participated in the SL -11 bond release field evaluation at the Colowyo Mine on July 25, 2017. The <br />surface and mineral ownership associated with this bond release is a combination of federal, state, and <br />private. Accordingly, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) notified DFB of its concurrence with <br />DRMS's proposed decision by letter dated November 29, 2017. We interpret this to mean that Tri-State <br />is in compliance with all applicable BLM mineral lease stipulations. <br />DRMS's proposed decision notes Tri -State's compliance with the approved Colorado regulatory <br />program at Rule 3.03.1(2)(a) and recommends authorizing Phase I bond release in the amount of 129.6 <br />acres at the Colowyo Mine. DRMS currently holds a performance bond in the amount of $80,517,829.00 <br />which covers the entire minesite, including the acreage proposed for release. Under SL -11, DRMS <br />proposes to release a total of $350,934.00 from Phase I bond liability. DFB concurs with DRMS's <br />proposed decision and recommends Phase I bond release for the requested areas at the Colowyo Mine. <br />Thank you and your staff for coordinating this bond release action through DFB. Please direct any <br />questions to Tom Medlin, Environmental Protection Specialist, at tmedlin@osmre.gov or (303) 293- <br />5083. <br />