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Elmer W. Burbridge <br />Box 463 <br />Nucla Co. 81424 <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, & Safety <br />215 Centennial Building <br />1313 Sherman Street <br />Denver Colorado8203 -2273 <br />Mr. David Berry, <br />This letter pertains to the Burbridge property that Western Fuels have mined in Nucla Colorado. <br />We have concerns about the future for farming and row cropping (corn or grain). The way the <br />land has been reclaimed which now has settled causing sink holes over several areas across the <br />land. There is no way the land can be used for row cropping and we are currently losing hay do <br />to these sink holes. <br />Another concern is the water line. It is not to the top of the property and off of the old ditch right <br />away. With the water line being at the corner of the place instead of the highest point, which is <br />were the old ditch right away used to be. With being at the low elevation we will not be able to <br />run water to the high point. If we were to use sprinklers to water the land and having other <br />people using the same pipe line there would not be enough pressure to run the sprinklers. <br />With the sink holes for the last two years I have Ross Gubka about the sink holes and he told me <br />that he would talk to Lance Wade to see what they would do after the bond is released. To this <br />day I have not received any answers about them. I have a few pictures of the sink holes so you <br />can see what we are talking about. I would like for you to come see the land after we have cut <br />the hay and the sink holes would be easier to see. As it is now it would be impossible to row <br />crop it again. I will notify you as to when I will be cutting hay so you will have advance notice. <br />In regards to the water, we had the place set to flood irrigate or row cropping before the mining. <br />The land had two ditches running on to the place. They were at the two highest point of the <br />place. Now the line is not at the top of the property, and when talking to Ross Gubka and Tom <br />Fry, last fall, they said that we were responsible for everything from where it is now, at the <br />corner of the place. It was to our understanding that the ditch would be put back in it original <br />location. Where water line is now, does not following the ditch right away. <br />It is like we are starting all over again in building an irrigation system for the land. With other <br />people pulling water out of the same line there would not be enough gravity pressure to run <br />sprinklers. The way the land is now, we would have to use a pump and sprinklers to irrigate the <br />land and to do that we would need two sets of sprinklers to irrigate the whole place and we can <br />not afford this set up. <br />Thank you <br />Mr. Elmer Burbridge <br />