Laserfiche WebLink
River. <br /> The Cyanide Leach Packet details all the problems we are concerned about.They even acknowledge that <br /> many accidents have happened,and the appropriate safety measures are not always followed. Only two(2) <br /> sites remain in Colorado that use cyanide in their operations and neither exist anywhere near residential <br /> properties. Instead,they operate in remote and extremely isolated areas far from areas where people live,work, <br /> and recreate. CC4LC thinks this is a much safer approach for such facilities.Yet CJK insists that they should be <br /> allowed to use such chemicals in the backyard of near-by residences.The Cyanide Emergency Response Plan <br /> deals mostly with risks to employees, but how long does cyanide stay in the air,and how quickly does it travel? <br /> If such a spill occurred,would the three closest residences be impacted?Would a wider area be impacted? <br /> Would we discover this had occurred because a pet is dead, and the residents may be experiencing symptoms <br /> such as described in this plan? <br /> The EPA recently expressed concern about the handling of chemicals at federal facilities. See EPA Document# <br /> 315F23001 dated Feb.2023. <br /> So far as CC4LC members can see,there is no follow up to ensure compliance to all stipulations in the permit <br /> by the applicants.That suggests that something catastrophic must happen before any action is taken.This is <br /> categorically intolerable,especially at a time when countless chemical spills of all lands dominate the news <br /> cycle.We have to ask,will Leadville be next? <br /> A tailings pile, moved from the front of the mill building to the back of the mill building(and now much closer to a <br /> residence)is supposed to be covered at all times.The covering appears to be plastic and is held down by old <br /> tires.This material degrades from weather and sun.Already the material degraded and left the soil underneath <br /> exposed last year.This was not remedied by the mill for at least a week or longer as they do not apparently <br /> inspect this area on a regular basis.The covering is again coming off that same pile and has not been attended <br /> to yet.As of April 3 there ae 2 tears.The observing resident apparently must notify the mill or the Building <br /> Department to get that taken care of.This does not instill confidence that they will be diligent with other safety <br /> measures.(See Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, pg.6) <br /> The lined Emergency Pond that is a deep,open pit for storage of waste is of concern in that wildlife could drink <br /> from this water source and it is possible someone could fall into it. In most communities,swimming pools must <br /> be fenced to ensure no children or pets,or nuisance visitors can gain access.Yet right next to 3 residences <br /> there is this open pit that may hold some contaminated water and likely will become deeper over time. (See <br /> pictures of the pit in Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety document, pg.5). <br /> Impacts to Water—Water safety is of utmost concern to nearby residents and should also be of concern to <br /> those who drink the water in the Arkansas River.While CJK has safety measures and good practices detailed, <br /> accidents continue to happen everywhere and seem to be accelerating in recent months.CC41LC members and <br /> other members of the Lake County community do not want our wells or river contaminated with cyanide or any <br /> other deadly toxins. <br /> Impacts to Air—It is possible that the air can become contaminated as well. Living so close to the mill facility, <br /> none of us want to have that happen.While CJK can promise it is not possible to have that happen,again, <br /> accidents happen all the time. One more reason why this type of project should not be located close to homes <br /> and people. <br /> Use of Water—Water is of great concern in the West!There is concern that farmers and ranchers may not have <br /> enough water to grow crops and provide sufficient water for their herds.The quantity of water the mill will use <br /> on a daily basis represents a real waste of water to the citizens of Leadville, let alone the West.While they have <br /> secured water,we have to ask"is this a good use of our limited water resources"?Lake County winters are <br /> bringing less snowfall and becoming drier each year leaving residents constantly worried about its impacts on <br /> the water table and heightened wildfire risks.The blatant waste of water for them to reclaim gold does not seem <br /> like a good trade off to the CC4LC Association.We believe the risks to the community in milling less than 20 <br /> grams of gold and silver per ton of mine waste far outweigh the benefits to a private enterprise. Let alone <br /> leaving approximately 2.6 million tons of mill waste(see Note 1)for our community to monitor and maintain <br /> after CJK ceases operations and leaves the area. Rule 7.0 6.4.7 Exhibit G—water information states in several <br /> places"The operation is not expected to affect surface or groundwater systems."Which does not offer much <br /> assurance to CC4LC members. On pg. 10 of the 4.0 Rule 6.4.4 Exhibit D—Mining Plan there is a table <br /> indicating daily use of water is 234,600 lbs.or 27,280 gallons and monthly 3,578 tons or 818,372 gallons.One <br /> well on a 35-acre parcel in Lake County allows for 325,852 gallons per acre foot of water annually,and yet CJK <br /> plans to use almost three times as much water monthly.According to How We Use Water I US EPA,the <br /> average American family uses about 300 gallons of water per day.One of CC4LC member families,tracks their <br /> water usage and they use about 100 gallons of water per day.This milling operation will be using anywhere <br /> from 90 to 273 times more water than their nearby neighbors.The fact that they may be using Parkville Water, <br /> rather than a well, is of little comfort to the burgeoning and already stressed Leadville-Lake County <br /> infrastructure. <br /> Wildlife—The application indicates that CJK Milling reported there is limited wildlife in this area and mentioned <br /> only deer and elk. Lake County is also home to bear, moose, mountain lions, big horn sheep and mountain <br />