INSPEC44995

• Permit No: M1976007UG
• IBM Index Class Name: Inspection
• Doc Date: 8/21/1997
• To: DMG
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

•
August 16, 1997
Division of Minerals and Geology
Room 215
1313 Sherman St.
Denver, Co 80203
Dear Carl,
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I recently talked to Gary Curtis of your office and he suggested that 1 write a letter detailing
the problem we are having with leachate runoff onto our land from a clay mine located on state
land.
We are locatedjust north of Golden on Highway 93, and the clay mine is locates. in the
hogback that pazallels Highway 93 (see map #1). The permit number for the mine is M-'16-007-
UG according to Gary. The mine is currently operated above-ground by Denver Brick.
The leachate flows out of an old mine entrance that is on our neighbor's land (Br°tt and
Tonya McCormick, see map #2). The leachate then slows into a small pond on their property, aad
spills from the pond and flows through a ditch onto our land, spreading out on our pasture and
destroyingvegerari~n Themaximum area affected is several acres. After talking to our
neighbors, and looking at old maps, l think that leachate has flowed from this mine since the
1950's, Maximum leachate flow is in the spring, up to 30 gpm or so. The flow tapers to zero
during the summer, unless it is a wet year. In August of 1995I took a water sample and had it
analyzed (see copy of analysis). As you can see, the leachate is high in Al, Pb, Fe and A4n, and
has a low 1'h. In addition, in 1993 I took a soil sample from the area affected by leachau: on our
]and. Enclosed is a copy of the analysis.
I recently contacted Wayne Spencer of Denver Brick (phone # [phone]) and briefly
discussed the leachate problem with him. He stated that he is in contact with Mark Davis of the
State Land Board about the problem. No action has been taken about the problem, thoul;h.
To conclude, we would like the flow onto our land stopped, and our pasture land reclaimed
as soon as possible. In addition, we have talked to our neighbors the McCormick's, and they plan
to pursue getting the flow stopped on their land, and the land reclaimed.