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Comment/Objection Narrative* <br /> The location of the proposed mine is approximately: <br /> •4 miles southwest of downtown Canon City <br /> • 1.5 miles from Canon City Limits <br /> • 1.3 miles from Grape Creek <br /> According to the U.S.Census Bureau,the county has a total area of 1,534 square miles(3,970 km2),of which <br /> 1,533 square miles(3,970 km2)is land and 0.9 square miles(2.3 km2)(0.06%)is water. <br /> Fremont county is large and understaffed with Emergency services.This project creates concerns about the <br /> water that will be used to operate this facility,the chemical hazard associated with this mine,and the lack of fire <br /> preparedness plan with this mine. <br /> The mine site at 6,500 feet elevation is 1,000 feet higher elevation than Grape Creek and the Arkansas river. It <br /> is upstream from the water plant intake for Fremont County.Any discharge from mining operations will find its <br /> way to the aquifers underground and/or the water flows.The mining operation would use approximately <br /> 65,000,000 gallons of water per year and an unspecified amount of chemicals.With the site just 1,000 feet <br /> above the Grape Creek and Arkansas River area,this creates the potential for pollution of the water for present <br /> and future generations.The demand on underground aquifers has been estimated in the permit as <br /> "insignificant"but there is no monitoring or measures to be sure that the demand is having an"insignificant" <br /> impact. <br /> The west is facing extreme drought conditions and water is a finite resource. It should be saved and allocated <br /> for the people,crops,and farm animals in the area.Water conservation is important. It is important that we <br /> allocate this precious resource. <br /> Chemicals that will be used in specified processing include: <br /> -Potassium Amyl Xanthate-2,250 Ibs onsite <br /> -Methyl IsoButyl Carbinol-900 Ibs <br /> -Generic anionic emulsion flocculent-450 Ibs <br /> That's 3,600 pounds of chemicals to be stored onsite and refreshed as needed. No one knows how these <br /> chemicals will interact with the ore taken from the mine and whether they will become toxic or not. Mix <br /> chemicals and ore of unknown reaction with 65,000,000 gallons of water annually and a potential disaster could <br /> occur. <br /> Chemicals used on site: <br /> Potassium Amyl Xanthate is rated on the NFPA hazard chart as hazardous to person's health,a fire hazard <br /> above 200*F,and unstable if heated. <br /> Methyl IsoButyl Carbinol is a flammable liquid and vapor. It causes serious eye irritation and may cause <br /> respiratory irritation. <br /> Generic anionic emulsion flocculent is a dangerous chemical that should be kept out of our water supply. It also <br /> causes serious eye damage. <br /> Fremont county doesn't have the Hazamat response team to handle the emergencies that exposure would <br /> cause.The hospital is not equipped to deal with a large influx of individuals exposed to any of these chemicals <br /> either.A full time safety manager and team need to be kept on site at all times with a full understanding of the <br /> procedures needed in place. <br /> Fire Risks: <br /> The permit is non-specific in the amount of water reserved for fire mitigation. It states"sufficient."There is no <br /> Fire Protection plan associated with the current application. How could government entities approve the permit <br /> without an assurance of being able to mitigate a fire before it becomes a wild fire?The mine location is in a <br /> juniper forest,semi-arid climate which is essentially a tinder box. <br /> Our county is experiencing a lack of full time and volunteer fire fighters and emergency response teams. <br /> Florence and Penrose are facing upcoming mill levies to pay for EMS and additional fire protection services. <br /> This mine would further stretch the resources of the community. <br /> It is important that this be denied to keep Fremont county safe. <br />