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It is my understanding that the Cripple Creek and Victor Mining Company (CC &V), a subsidiary <br />of AngoGold Ashanti North America, is requesting a permit for a mining life extension. With <br />this project, there is a plan for a new valley leach facility (Squaw Gulch Valley Leach Facility — <br />SGVLF) which would require the relocation of Highway 67. <br />I object to the mining life extension. The plan for the mining life extension does not take into <br />consideration the impact that the project would have on the family of Wayne Tease. Wayne <br />Tease was 23 years old when he came to Colorado. He was adventurous, loved to be outdoors <br />and explore new places. When he unexpectedly had a day off from work, he and a friend <br />decided to explore some of the areas of Cripple Creek. Of course, not being from the area, <br />Wayne was not familiar with the hazards of open mineshafts. On April 27, 1986 Wayne fell to <br />his death in an open mineshaft of the Mary McKinney mine. <br />There were many days of efforts trying to recover the remains. It was determined that they could <br />send someone down the mineshaft but it was considered too dangerous and everyone, including <br />Wayne's family, was in agreement that we should not put another life at risk to recover Wayne's <br />remains. Our family left Cripple Creek knowing that although we could not have the remains, <br />we could always visit the area and know where the remains were. We were promised that we <br />would always have access to the area to visit at any time. This is Wayne's grave and the <br />company at that time (Texas Gulf Metals) allowed the family access to the gravesite with no <br />conditions attached to the offer. <br />My husband and I and our children have visited the site numerous times over the last 26 years. <br />We have travelled across the country many times and would make sure that our route always <br />passed through Cripple Creek so that we could stop to visit Wayne. For the bereaved, the <br />cemetery is a place where the relationship between the dead and the bereaved is established and <br />maintained. Consolation is taken from visits to the grave, and from planting around and <br />decorating the plot. Cemeteries are sites where family and communal loyalties are linked and <br />reaffirmed. Just as you and your family would visit your relatives in the cemetery, we stop by <br />Cripple Creek to visit the cemetery that was chosen for Wayne. <br />Our family feels that any work in that area should first consider the return of any of Wayne's <br />remains to our family. We have seen the movements of earth taking place in the area and feel <br />that an engineering study should be done to see if it is possible to get the remains for the family. <br />CC &V had one of their own engineers look into the possibility but we feel that this should be <br />done by an outside entity in order to get an impartial opinion. <br />On their website, the values of AngloGold Ashanti states: We treat each other with dignity <br />and respect. We seek to preserve people's dignity, their sense of self -worth in all our <br />interactions, respecting them for who they are. We are honest with ourselves and others, <br />and we deal ethically with all of our business and social partners. <br />If CC &V wants to treat the family of Wayne Tease with dignity and respect, they will research <br />every possibility to get the remains for the family. If that is not possible, then CC &V should find <br />a way to allow the family access to the area that we consider " Wayne's cemetery" without any <br />conditions attached. <br />ly <br />a <br />