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RECEIVED <br /> July 10,2024 <br /> Patrick Lennberg, Environmental Protection Specialist JUL 18 2024 <br /> Division of Reclamation,Mining,and Safety DIVISION OF RECLAMATION <br /> MINING AND SAFTEY <br /> 1313 Sherman Street,Room 215 <br /> Denver,Colorado 80203 <br /> Re:Comments on Coulson Excavating Company,Inc.-Amendment application for Kirtright Pit, <br /> Larimer County,Permit#M1986-123 <br /> Dear Mr. Lennberg: <br /> We are residents of the Thompson River Ranch and Thompson Crossing community. We are <br /> sending this letter in response to the call for comments regarding the Kirtright Pit amendment <br /> (Notice dated June 14,2024,from Patrick Lennberg)filed by Coulson Excavating Company,Inc. <br /> (Coulson). Some of us live adjacent to the Kirtright Pit properties owned by Randy Kirtright and by <br /> Linda O'Brien;some of us live adjacent to the Stroh Pit property owned by the Coulson family,and <br /> some of us are adjacent to both,but all of us-well over 1,000 households-lie within a mile of <br /> these properties proposed to be used for an industrial mine. Although this amendment addresses <br /> the Kirtright Pit,Coulson has tied the fate of the Kirtright and Stroh Pits together and therefore we all <br /> have the potential to be impacted by this project. <br /> Larimer County approved the Stroh Pit Use by Special Review permit over the objections of the <br /> residents in the surrounding neighborhoods. But it has since come to our attention that the Stroh <br /> Pit USR application was based on false,or at least misleading,information regarding Coulson's <br /> right to use the Kirtright Pit property for the processing and storage of Stroh materials. It is our <br /> understanding that Linda O'Brien has not given Coulson permission to use her land for this purpose <br /> nor to allow access to,or across her property for a conveyor belt or for the 200 one-way haul truck <br /> trips per day-an average of one truck every 3 minutes. Even now,after this has come to light, <br /> Coulson continues to get a pass to move forward with complete disregard for the property owner's <br /> rights. And suddenly,in order to use Kirtright Pit for the Stroh Pit operation despite the property <br /> owner's objections,Coulson now claims they need Stroh Pit soil to reclaim Kirtright Pit(despite <br /> access to other nearby gravel operations they own to the east and west)and it just so happens it <br /> will take them seven more years to finish the Kirtright reclamation-the same time frame given to <br /> mine and reclaim the Stroh Pit. <br /> Perhaps even more disturbing than the consistently outdated and inaccurate paperwork(permit <br /> applications and annual reports)as well as the inconsistency between the plans submitted to the <br /> DRMS and Larimer County,are the number of code violations(including operating outside Kirtright <br /> Pit permit boundaries),delay tactics,and outright negligence on the part of Coulson Excavating. <br /> Of particular concern is the damage done to the O'Brien property and the unwillingness of Coulson <br /> to correct the damage and finish reclamation. The DRMS sends Coulson letters with corrective <br /> actions to be taken which Coulson,time after time,fails to fully complete,or ignores,with little or <br /> no consequences,resulting in DRMS eventually giving in to Coulson's wants. (For example, <br /> Coulson violates the original Kirtright Pit permit boundary and simply asks for an amendment after <br /> the fact to extend the boundary of the permit.) Failure to reclaim the Kirtright Pit properties 16 years <br /> after mining was completed and the inability of the DRMS to hold Coulson accountable are <br />