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Introduction <br /> Brick is an essential construction material with discoveries in southern Turkey <br /> dating back to 7000 BC. The first fired brick is dated 3500 BC which carried brick <br /> construction into cooler climates since brick no longer required to be baked in the <br /> sun. The Roman Empire further extended brick construction with the development of <br /> mobile kilns (Brick Architecture, 2017). <br /> Unlike ubiquitous sand and gravel sources that can be processed into any <br /> number of construction products, clay sources consist of specific clays that produce a <br /> specific brick depending on the brick recipe and firing technique. The Golden Mine <br /> contains both clay and sandstone; plastic and non-plastic brick ingredients. As many <br /> as five different clays are found in the mine area. The clay can be mixed with the <br /> sandstone on site, resulting in even more brick variations. The value of the clay in <br /> this hogback formation is historic and economically essential. <br /> The Golden Mine was initially an underground mine. Historic records <br /> document activity in the 1860's. The underground mine experienced groundwater <br /> challenges. The adits have since been closed and mining is limited to surface clay <br /> deposits. In fact, mining along the hogback extends north more than five miles. <br /> The resource rich geology provides construction material for infrastructure <br /> development, utilities, roads and housing developments. <br /> Acme Brick Company (Acme) is submitting application to convert M-1976- <br /> 007UG a 110 Permit to a 112 Permit. The permit boundary will increase from 9.0 <br /> acres to 85.51 acres with an affected area of 70.15 acres. <br /> The CO State Land Board granted mineral leases to Denver Brick Company, <br /> aka Acme Brick Company, on January 14, 1941 and General Shale Brick Inc. (GS) on <br /> July 14, 1985. Denver Brick Company's lease includes minerals in 160 acres from the <br /> hogback ridge east to Highway 93 and ingress/egress to the highway. The mine, <br /> known as the Golden Mine, has provided up to five types of clay and sandstone used <br /> in brick manufacturing for over 80 years. GS's Flintlock Clay Mine was reclaimed in <br /> 2013 with the site and bond released in 2018. <br /> The Golden Mine is a 9.0-acre clay mine that produces less than 20K tons of <br /> clay each year. Even though the mine has low production volume, this site provides <br /> minerals and sandstone that are critical for brick manufacturing. In a typical year, <br /> clay is mined, processed and stockpiled during two to three weeks each year. The <br /> stockpiled material is hauled to brick plants in 25 ton trucks as needed to meet <br /> market demand. Over the course of one year, 400 trucks per year or an average of <br /> one truck per day will haul material from the site. <br /> This permit conversion will allow a 5 acre staging area consistent for the life <br /> of the mine. Processing and stockpiles will be located in the staging area. This <br /> configuration will limit activity immediately adjacent to the vertical face of the <br /> hogback, improving safety for miners and haulers. Reclamation will occur <br /> contemporaneously with mining. A 3H:1V slope will be contemporaneously <br /> constructed of interburden and other non-clay material at the toe of the mine face as <br /> mining progresses southward. <br />