INSPEC12006 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

~. Douglas Mountain Residents' Association 32360 Robinson Hill Road • Golden, CO 80403 The Frei Quarry has other problems. At the quarry entrance, gravel trucks use U.S. bright-of--way for staging, resulting in significant deposition of dust, sand, and gravel on the highway and shoulder azeas. The common practice used by the Quarry is to drive afront-end loader into Clear Creek, pick up a bucket of water, and dump it onto the highway. This practice, along with storm water runoff washes mine residuals from the staging area directly into Cleaz Creek, impairing water quality. During storm events, runoff from the mine flows across U.S. 6 directly into Clear Creek. The Storm Water Discharge Permit required for this mining facility does not appear to be enforced. This area of Clear Creek Canyon is prone to high winds that are common during fall, winter, and spring. Residents of our community routinely observe dust clouds from the mine. Mine dust can also be seen in lazge deposits on the ice covering Clear Creek in winter, which is subsequently transponed downstream in Clear Creek during melt-off. The Air Quality Permit required for this mining facility does not appear to be enforced. The covering of loaded trucks is not adequately enforced, resulting in deposition of dust throughout the Canyon corridor to Golden. The truck weight limits are not adequately enforced, resulting in spillage of material on U.S. 6 throughout the Canyon. [t is our opinion that these issues must be addressed in a comprehensive manner to protect human health and safety and the environment. Clear Creek, Jefferson, and Gilpin Counties are stakeholders in these issues, yet these ongoing and obvious problems are not being addressed at the local level. The geopolitical boundaries of these counties are invisible to Clear Creek, the environment, and to local residents. Therefore, we believe that a Federal Environmental Impact Statement should be conducted for the Albert Frei & Sons Quarry in Clear Creek Canyon. This study is needed to fully and objectively evaluate current impacts from the mine, along with any potential expansion scenarios. It is our understanding that the Albert Frei & Sons Quarry has requested that Clear Creek County change zoning designation from Mountain Residential to Planned Development to expand the existing quarry operation by 144 percent. The cumulative impacts of all factors associated with this proposed expansion, including the existing gravel truck traffic issues on U.S. 6 in Clear Creek Canyon, must be evaluated now through a full Environmental Impact Statement, to reduce additional loss of life and environmental degradation. We would appreciate a response to this request at your earliest convenience. Respect~fullyl SuC- ~ """' Stan Gale Preside , DMRA~ 4/- Mike Crouse Vice President, DMRA