DRMS Comment Objection Intake - DEV 4/2/2024 (28)

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Email Address * Enter a valid email address in this field to receive a confirmation e-mail. mike@therollingj.com Your Phone Number* Used only to follow up. 4049061888 Extension Alternate Phone Number Used only to follow up. Alternate Phone Extension Connection to Operation Select all that apply Land Owner of affected land Structure Owner within 200' of affected land Mineral Owner ✓ Nearby Resident Adjacent Land Owner Concerned Citizen Government Agency Other DESCRIPTION OF COMMENT OR OBJECTION You are providing a comment or objection to the public record of a permitting action currently under review by the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. This form is not intended for reporting of possible violations or illegal activity. Please be as specific as possible. Comment/Objection Narrative Arkansas River Impact Objection I am an owner of approximately 1 mile of the Arkansas River just south of California Gulch. Forty years ago, the general condition of the fishery in the Upper Arkansas River Valley was atrocious not only for marine life but also the entire ecosystem supported by it. When we acquired this property in 2016 the water, soil, and surrounding grasses had been fully restored to become one of the most ideal stretches of gold medal trout fishing in Colorado. As a Colorado native, I've been visiting Leadville since the 1970s. The 1983 flood of toxic mining waste through the Arkansas headwaters essentially destroyed the habitat and ultimately required the EPA to step in and designate most of Lake County one of the original Superfund sites. Given that remediation was required upstream with the toxic tailings piles prior to any remediation of the actual water itself, most of the restoration of our property was not completed until the mid-2010's. It took almost forty years to restore the Arkansas into what it is today! With some understanding of the amount spent to remediate just our property, let alone what has been spent restoring the water downstream, it is completely incomprehensible to me that this mining permit would be considered for approval given the history of toxic chemicals and heavy metals in the water and soil in both Leadville and Lake County. The risk to causing damage to both surface and groundwater by leaching with cyanide and other chemicals is clearly not zero. I therefore urge The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety to deny this application for permit. The risk is clearly not worth the "reward" for enough constituencies. Permit Number* Enter valid letter and then numbers, for example M1977999, M1999777UG or C1981201. M1990057 Permitting Action Type Select revision type or leave blank if comment pertains to a new permit application or NOI