2015-10-19_PERMIT FILE - M2015030

Home Browse Search

CC_ (_. ASPHALT SPECIALTIES CO. 3/60 10100 Dallas St. • Henderson, C080640 • (303) 289-8555 • Fax: (720) 289-7707 RECEIVED October 19, 2015 i/ OCI' 1 C z i Mr. Eric Scott DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, Environmental Protection Specialist MINING AND SAFETY Colorado Div. of Reclamation, Mining and Safety 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 RE: Responses to Adequacy Review for Chavers Mining Resource, DRMS Permit No. M-2015-030 Dear Mr. Scott: Below and attached, please find written responses, graphic information and additional enclosures to respond to the adequacy review prepared by you on October 1, 2015 in reference to the application submittal. The responses are prepared to the format presented in your adequacy review. EXHIBIT G -Water Information: Our overall response to your concerns for mounding and shadowing and the need for monitoring wells is that I am unsure why you would consider that this should be a concern and require the necessity of installing monitoring wells. I have prepared three mapping exhibits to help illustrate our position regarding this concern. These graphics are key to understanding the location of the Chavers Mining Resource within the context of the overall groundwater regime in the immediate area. Please refer to these enclosures as part of this response. The three mapping exhibits overlap somewhat in the information contained, but will overall help to define our position on this issue. Lupton Lakes Resource Pit (M-2004-078): First and most obvious is the location and extent of the Lupton Lakes Resource Pit sand and gravel mining operation to the east across US -85 and extending major distances to the north and south of the Chavers Mining Resource. This is a —300 -acre mining site that will result in a 260 - acre fully clay -lined reservoir being developed for the Denver Water Dept. Our understanding is that the clay - lining has already started as a continuous process as new areas are opened up for mining beginning in the southern area of the active operation. Alluvial groundwater flow in this area on the east side of the South Platte River flows in a direction from the east-southeast to the South Platte River. This operation and eventual clay - lined water -storage reservoir is upgradient and would appear to almost completely cause the Chavers Mining Resource area to be in the groundwater shadow of the reservoir, cutting off alluvial groundwater from reaching the Chavers site. Groundwater will primarily be diverted around the southern end of the Lupton Lakes site and be re -directed to the South Platte River far south from the Chavers site. Citv of Aurora Pronertv (future site of an additional alluvial groundwater well field area for the Prairie Waters water transfer system): The City of Aurora purchased this 25 -acre property in approximately 2013 for the specific reason to further develop their alluvial well field operation for intake and transfer of South Platte River groundwater for their Prairie Waters water -transfer system to Aurora. The entire property, except a small area adjacent to US -Hwy 85, is within the FEMA defined 100 -year floodplain and floodway (as with all the