|
<br />Division of Minerals and Geology
<br />Dept. of Natural Resources
<br />1313 Sherman St. Rm. 215
<br />Denver, CO 80203
<br />RE: Permit #M89-120
<br />Camas Colorado Inc. /Aggregate Industries
<br />Mining Pit
<br />Mr. Thomas Schreiner,
<br />RECEIVED
<br />MAY 2 t 2002
<br />Division of Minerals and Geology
<br />~7JR+l / y~ aG'OZ
<br />Permit #: - ~~ Confidental?~: ~
<br />Class: Type-Seq.: S/~o/Oa-
<br />From:~ J ~ To: ~~7/C~rT~~_r
<br />Doc. Name: Cstio-u.~oer,.r<
<br />f~ r~ • /. J..• • .~\
<br />This letter's purpose is to officially register my complaint as follows. Aggregate Industries/ Camas, has
<br />lowered the water table on my farm to such levels as to seriously damage my farming operation, which is
<br />my sole source of income. The Aggregate Pi[ i"s located in Weld County, NE %< , SE %. ,section 30,
<br />township in range 66W , 6`h PM, and has been operating for approximately one year.
<br />4
<br />On April 4, 2002, I contacted the State Divisionof Water Resources, because at that time, 3 irrigation wells
<br />due east of Aggregate's Pit were surging, the water discharge erratic. In addition, one irrigation and one
<br />domestic well located at WCR 6 and Rd. 27 were both dry. Bob Stahl, River Commisioner, Div. I, was
<br />contacted April 8, 2002 to be made aware of the damages to the domestic wells and the irrigation wells.
<br />The two domestic wells providing water to my labor houses and processing shed required re-drilling. In
<br />checking with neighboring farms, I discovered that 6 domestic wells have dried up. These wells are in a
<br />straight north to south line on WC Rd. 27, the eastern boundary of section 30, which is due east of
<br />Aggregate's operation (see enclosed map). In 1998 I had two irrigation wells repaired by Camfield Drilling
<br />of Fort Morgan, CO. At that time, the static water level was 17 feet, but on April 9, 2002, while Camfield
<br />was servicing an irrigation well, the static water level was 24 feet, a loss of 7 feet.
<br />1 have enclosed a copy of Aggregate's well permit # 055585-F, DVI WDZ, dated Apri19, 2001 (see
<br />enclosed copy). On the cover page, line one, the permit states : "This well shall be used in such a way as to
<br />cause no material injury to existing water rights." This same permit goes on to include on line four, that
<br />"Tile average annual amount of ground water to be appropriated shall not exceed 88.48 acre feet with total
<br />surface area of [he proposed ground water pond limited to 25 acres." Since the first part of April, 2002, I
<br />have had numerous conversations with Aggregate's Tony Warren ,site plant manager, and Jamie Gaboriau;
<br />also Bill Warmack of Applegate group, Aggregate's consulting firm. Through the course of these
<br />conversations, I have teamed that Aggregate has two pumps in operation, each with a capacity of 3,000
<br />gallons per minute. The pumps have been running from 18 to 20 hours per day to de-water the mining site.
<br />At 3000 gpm X 60 minutes = 180,000 gallons per hour. 180,000 gph X 18 hours ° 3,240,000 gallons per
<br />day. 3,240,000 gpd / 326, 900 gallons/acre ft = 9.9 acre ft per day. 88.48 acre ftannual / 9.9 acre ft per day
<br />= 8.93 days of operation before they would exhaust their total appropriations for the year, with only one
<br />pump in operation for nine days. I[ appears Aggregate is in gross violation of their water well permit issued
<br />April 9, 2001.
<br />This matter is extremely urgent and needs to be investigated as quickly as possible, since it is prime --'-"
<br />growing season. My livelihood as well as my 30 employees' livelihood is a[ stake. Many other farms are
<br />also being affected, and with a potentially dry summer rapidly approaching, our water source is at a critical
<br />level now, and will soon become an emergency.
<br />P9 • ~.
<br />~4ANG/<t i
<br />303-(o,$y-53L/
<br />
|