2016-04-07_PERMIT FILE - M2016010 (5)

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Ridgewood Estates Association 1285 Glenrock Drive Colorado Springs, Colorado 80926 RSCENFID March 31, 2016 APR 0 7 2016 Ms. Amy Eschberger OFfRE M Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety JONWAMWATY 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 Re: Transit Mix Concrete Company application for Reclamation Permit, Hitch Rack Ranch Quarry (# M2016010) Dear Ms. Eschberger I am submitting this letter on behalf of the 13 property owners within the Ridgewood Estates (Glenrock Drive). Ridgewood Estates is located along Highway 115,two miles North of the proposed Hitch Rack Ranch Quarry operation. Based on our investigations and research, the owners and residents within the Ridgewood Estates are unanimously opposed to bringing an additional large-scale aggregate mining operation to our community, as there are already three quarries in service along this five mile stretch of Highway 115. Our research has unveiled significant constraints to additional quarry development in the proposed location including: limited water supplies, a fragile groundwater system,rich wildlife and vegetation resources, public health and safety, air and noise contamination,compromised transportation within the community,traffic hazards along Highway H 5, existing quarries that satisfy the demand, violation of current development plans for the area, proximity to local residents, and limited or no alternatives for residents. Water Supply: All residents in Ridgewood Estates and surounding nieghbors along the Highway 115 corridor depend on ground water for their domestic water supply. These wells likely depend on the fracture system within the granitic rock for water supply, while wells in the adjacent upturned sedimentary rocks may depend upon both these fracture systems and infiltration along the granite- sedimentary rock boundary for recharge. This situation makes such wells dependent on the quality of the recharging surface water and highly susceptible to contamination. The Heavy rains of 2014 prooved this when many of our wells water changed color to tea like,due to the increased run off that shocked the aquiphor. Despite the fact that many of these wells receive water from over 200 feet below the suface,the color change remained for several months. Contamination from mining operations can travel very quickly through the fracture system to affect domestic wells. The very geology and topography of the proposed Hitch Rack Ranch Quarry site makes such effects exceedingly difficult to predict. Further,the effect from blasting operations(which Transit Mix proposes to conduct two or three times each week)on the fracture system will likely exacerbate the problem, and is equally difficult to predict. In 1996 when we experienced an aftershock of an earth quake,several wells in our community had a drastic reduction in water production or had to be abandoned. 1