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The Spring Gulch Coal Company of Thermopolis, Wyoming (Permit No. 211) has applied for
Phase 1, 2, and 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 October 21, 1974. The
coal mining permit area is located in: T. 44N., R. 94W., Sections 6 and 7; T. 46N., R. 98W.,
Sections 30, 31, 32, and 33; and T. 46N., R. 99W., Sections 25 and 26, Hot Springs County,
Wyoming. The areas of the permit are approximately 31 miles northwest of Thermopolis,
Wyoming and 0.5 miles northwest of Kirby, Wyoming. These areas can be found on the Grass
Creek and Kirby USGS quadrangle maps. The parcels to be released from bond are located in
Sections 6 and 7 in T. 44N., R. 94W. This bond release request includes 15.7 acres of Category 5
land that has been reclaimed to an industrial/commercial post-mining land use. The reclamation of
the parcels was completed in 2023. The total bond requested for release is $43,000, which is 100%
of the incremental bond for the 15.7 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 Lander, 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 W. 17th Street, Suite 10, Cheyenne, WY 82002 before the close of
business September 11, 2023. Objections may also be submitted by the same deadline via the Land
Quality Division?s electronic comment portal at http://lq.wyomingdeq.commentinput.com/. If
written objections are filed, and a public hearing is requested, the Environmental Quality Council
(Council) shall hold a public hearing within sixty (60) days after the final date for filing objections
unless a different period is stipulated to by all parties. The Council shall publish notice of the time,
date and location of the hearing 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 hearing. The hearing
shall be conducted as a contested case in accordance with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure
Act (W.S. ?16-3-101 through ?16-3-115), with a right of judicial review as provided in that act.
Without prejudice to the objector or applicant?s right to a hearing before the Council, the
Administrator may hold an informal conference to resolve written objections after notification to
all parties. The Administrator shall make a record of the conference unless waived by all parties,
which shall be accessible to all parties. The Administrator shall furnish all parties of the conference
with a written finding of the Division based on the conference, and the reasons for the finding.
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