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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY / <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 <br />FAX: (303) 832-8106 <br />September 17, 2004 <br />Mr. Eric Reckentine <br />Lafazge West, Inc. <br />1400 West 64`~ Ave. <br />Denver, CO 80221 <br />RE: Lafazge West, Inc., Application No. M-2003-091 <br />Duckworth Pit; Adequacy Review #3 <br />Deaz Mr. Reckentine, <br />COLORADO <br />D I V I S I O N O F <br />MINERALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />RECLAMATION•N IN ING <br />SAFETY•SCIENCE <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br />Russell George <br />Executive Director <br />Ronald W. Cottony <br />Division Director <br />Natural Resource Trustee <br />The Division received Lafazge's adequacy response on September 1, 2004 for the Duckworth Pit <br />New 112 Application, File Number M-2003-091. The Division of Minerals and Geology <br />(Division) is required to make an approval or denial recommendation no later than October 27, <br />2004, therefore, your response to the following adequacy review concerns should be submitted to <br />the Division as soon as possible. <br />The Division previously asked Lafarge to demonstrate topsoil piles stored on site would be stable <br />in their current configuration if an adequate buffer distance was not established. Lafazge <br />responded by changing the mining slope from O.Sh:ly to 1.Sh:ly and stating that an angle of <br />repose equal or less than 1.5:1 achieves a safety greater than 1. However, Lafarge did not <br />provide a slope stability analysis to demonstrate that the angle of repose would achieve a static <br />safety factor greater than 1. The Division previously provided Lafarge with the following <br />options regazding placement of the topsoil piles: <br />• Demonstrate that topsoil piles will be stable under the proposed mining conditions using <br />a stability slope analysis (according to the map, the topsoil pile is on the top edge of the <br />mining limits), <br />• Maintain a set back distance at 2 times the depth of the pit (in this case a 20' deep pit <br />would need a 40' setback distance) and revise the maps to reflect this buffer, <br />• Revise the mining and reclamation plan to include sloping, benching or terracing and <br />including a slope stability analysis, or <br />• Relocate the topsoil pile to a more stable location, and revise the maps accordingly. <br />Lafarge has not provided a mining offset distance from the toe of the topsoil pile to the edge of <br />the pit, nor has Lafazge demonstrated that the pile will be stable at the edge of the 1.Sh:ly pit. <br />Please address this issue prior to fmal approval of the Duckworth 112 Application. In addition, <br />please explain how the highwalls will be reduced and reclaimed in areas where topsoil is stored. <br />Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation <br />Office of <br />Active and Inactive Mines <br />Colorado <br />Geological Survey <br />