Peabody Powder River Mining, LLC, North Antelope Rochelle Mine, of St. Louis, MO (Permit No. 569-T9) has applied for a Phase 3 Bond Release from the Land Quality Division of the Department of Environmental Quality for the State of Wyoming. This permit was originally approved on December 6, 1984. The coal mining permit area is located in portions or all of: sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17 and 18 in T41N, R69W; Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34 in T41N, R70W; Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 23, 24, and 25 in T41N, R71W; Sections 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31, and 32 in T42N, R69W; Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 in T42N, R70W; Sections 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 in T42N, R71W; Sections 31 and 32 in T43N, R70W; and Sections 35 and 36 in T43N, R71W; 6th Principal Meridian located in Campbell and Converse Counties, Wyoming. The North Antelope Rochelle Mine is located approximately 65 miles south of Gillette, Wyoming. This area can be found on the Coal Bank Draw, Dugout Creek North, Piney Canyon SW, Teckla, Teckla SW, Piney Canyon NW, Reno Reservoir and Little Thunder Reservoir USGS quadrangle maps. The parcels to be released from bond are located in Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 17 in T41N, R70W, in Section 1 in T41N, R71W and in Sections 31, 32 and 33 in T42N, R70W. This Phase 3 bond release request includes approximately 3,738.7 acres and is for the completion of all reclamation activities through permanent revegetation. Final revegetation of these parcels began in 1990 and was completed in 2009. The total amount of bond to be released is $1,834,256 which is 25% of the incremental bond for those 3,738.7 acres.
Information regarding the mining operation, reclamation procedures and areas proposed for release may be reviewed in the Office of the Land Quality Division of the Department of Environmental Quality in Cheyenne and Sheridan, Wyoming. Written objections to the proposed bond release request must be received by the Administrator of the Land Quality Division, Department of Environmental Quality, 200 West 17th Street, Suite 10, Cheyenne, WY 82002, before the close of business February 4, 2021. If written objections are filed, and a public hearing is requested, the Director shall hold an informal conference, hear the complaint and take action on the application in accordance with Wyoming Statute (W.S.) §35-11-406(p) and the Department's Rules of Practice and Procedure. The Director shall render a decision on the application within thirty (30) days after the deadline to file objections if no informal conference is requested. An informal conference shall be held within thirty (30) days after the final date for filing objections unless a different date is stipulated to by the parties. The Director shall publish notice of the time, date and location of the hearing or conference in a newspaper of general circulation in the locality of the proposed operation once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks immediately prior to the conference. If the Director holds an informal conference, all parties to the conference shall be furnished with a copy of the final written decision of the Director issuing or denying the application for bond release within sixty (60) days of the conference. The applicant or objector may appeal the Director’s written decision after an informal conference to the Council. If a hearing is held the hearing would be conducted as a contested case in accordance with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act (W.S. §16-3-101 through §16-3-115). The right of judicial review would be afforded as provided in that act and W.S. §35-11-406(p)(iv).
