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<br /> <br />State of Colorado <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />October 12, 1976 <br />Page Three <br /> <br />complete, the top of the stope is blasted in to close it. Almost <br />no surface change occurs due to the thinness of the vein. <br />Due to the small amount of clay extracted, one of these stopes <br />will last for a period of 5 years or more, so the surface dis- <br />turbance is negligible. <br />(2-g) Conformance to Section 34-32-116 (1-b) to (1-r): <br />Due to the small size of the operations, a minimum amount of <br />new surface is being disturbed. The old exposed sandstone faces <br />are so steep (600 to 700) that no soil covering would be practical, <br />and they have existed so long that they seem to be accepted as <br />part of the rocky topography. Any movement of the thin dirt <br />cover from the hillside above them would only expose more rock <br />in Chat area due to the very thin soil cover. Topsoil occurs so <br />mixed with rock that no separation is possible. <br />The sandstone being stripped is moved as little as possible <br />and mostly is left on the bench at the base of the present exposed <br />rock. Some is necessarily spilled over the edge, but so mach <br />loose rock has always existed on these slopes that it is n~~t <br />particularly noticeable. Most is sold as fill rock. <br />Mining of the fireclay which once existed in front of the <br />present exposed sandstone was carried on from 1900 to about <br />1962 with most of the surface mining or near surface mining; that <br />produced the present exposures dating back to the early part of <br />this period. They show on the map submitted which was oril;inally <br />made in 1948. Later extraction was almost entirely severa~_ <br />hundred feet underground and was abandoned about 1962. A1~_ top <br />openings to the stopes were closed by filling, natural collapse, <br />or blasting. <br />No mine water is being produced from any of the current <br />workings. <br />Reclamation has not been practiced due to the lack of tcpsoil <br />in the area, the steep slopes, and the blending of exposed faces <br />due to mining with naturally exposed faces. The only other land <br />use has been a minimal amount of grazing on the lower and less <br />steep edge of the property. It would appear that the disturbed <br />and undisturbed areas would be mainly classified as unusable as <br />under Section 34-32-116 (r-II). <br />Tie life of the operation will extend indefinately, since no <br />substitutes have been found far these materials in the manufacture <br />of the applicant's products. <br />