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Comment/Objection Narrative* <br /> Mining requires enormous amounts of water.To produce the gold in one wedding ring,for example, requires <br /> 8,000 liters of water. Mining often dries up the local water supply very quickly, making agriculture and livestock <br /> production difficult or impossible. Drinking and cooking water become scarce as well. Drinking water and <br /> irrigation water are frequently poisoned,sometimes for centuries. Bad water from mines can poison crops <br /> dozens of miles away from the mines. <br /> It is estimated that Zephyr Gold Ltd.will use 65,000,000 gallons of water per year.The Mine is adjacent to the <br /> Lower Grape Creek Wilderness Study Area. (Wilderness Study Areas(commonly known as WSAs)are places <br /> that have wilderness characteristics;that is a minimum size, naturalness,and outstanding opportunities for <br /> recreation which make them eligible for designation as wilderness.) <br /> (Wilderness I Bureau of Land Management(blm.gov) <br /> How will removal of 65,000,000 gallons of water per year affect the Lower Grape Creek Wilderness Study Area <br /> and what impact will it have on the nearby Upper Grape Creek Wilderness Study Area? <br /> Have there been any environmental impact studies as to what the effect of losing water in these Wilderness <br /> Study Areas would be? <br /> The Water table in Dawson ranch is high in some places lower in others.Where it is high basements could not <br /> be created.Will the draining of 65,000,000 gallons of water per year lower the water table and what effect will <br /> that have on the houses built in Dawson Ranch?Will sink holes be created? <br /> Per the Pennsylvania State Government: <br /> Typical activities that can lead to sinkholes are: <br /> •Decline of water levels-drought,groundwater pumping(wells,quarries, mines) <br /> reference web link:What causes a sinkhole(pa.gov) <br /> Colorado Legislature Bill HB19-1113 required that when new mining permits are issued,sufficient and secure <br /> bonds are in place to ensure cleanup and better protect public health and the environment.The new law will <br /> end self-bonding for hardrock mines in Colorado and will explicitly include water quality protection in the <br /> calculation for the amount of bonding required. It will also require mining license applicants to set an end date <br /> for the cleanup of their operation,so that they can no longer just to do water treatment into perpetuity. <br /> The mining site is at 6,500 feet elevation which is 1,000 feet higher in elevation than Grape Creek and the <br /> Arkansas river.Any discharge from mining operations will find its way to the aquifers underground and/or the <br /> water flows. <br /> Will Zephyr Gold Ltd. be required to clean the water they use?Will they store contaminated water on the land? <br /> Can they contain spills? In 2016 the area or Dawson ranch experienced heavy rainfall and flooding,can Zephyr <br /> Gold Ltd.contain such rainfall water if they have containment ponds? <br /> What end date for the cleanup of their operations was set by Zephyr Gold Ltd.? <br /> The reclamation bond is allegedly only$261,813. Has the Bond amount taken into consideration the potential <br /> for environmental impacts to our Wilderness Study Areas and for sink holes in Dawson Ranch, let alone the <br /> impact of contamination to the drinking water(Arkansas River)for multiple cities?Common sense says the <br /> amount of$261,813 is absurdly low. <br /> We already have one Contaminated Superfund Site thanks to the former Cotter Corporation,we don't need <br /> another one. <br /> Zephyr Gold Ltd. poses a great threat to Fremont County,Canon City,and cities downstream of Canon City. <br /> Zephyr Gold Ltd.SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO MINE. <br /> PLEASE DO NOT APPROVE THE MINING PERMIT(M2021046)FOR ZEPHYR Gold Ltd!!!! <br /> Dan Inmon <br /> 26 Kyndra Ct. <br /> Canon City,CO 81212 <br />