Laserfiche WebLink
~ iii iiiiiiiiiiiu iiiii <br />~~ <br />~ , <br />LUKE J. RUSSELL <br />' CORPORATE MAN AGER-ENVIRON MENTAL AFFAIRS <br />1 ..~- ..-I:l~i~ <br />January 12, 1995 <br />Mr David Holm, Director Jarl I ~ ~~1yy <br />' Water Quality Control Division <br />4300 Cherry Creek Drive, South vi~:~;;;;;,,,,,,,,,,~~~,. M4Vy, i/ <br />Denver, Colorado 80222-1530 <br />' Mr Bruce Humphries <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />' 1313 Sherman St. Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />' Re: Bulldog Mine Groundwater <br />' Dear Mr Holm, <br />Dear Mr Humphries <br />Homestake Mining Company has completed field reclamation <br />activities at its Bulldog Mine near Creede, Colorado. We have <br />requested termination of the NPDES permit from the Water Quality <br />Control Division (WQD) and expect to request release for <br />reclamation liability from the Division of Mining and Geology (DMG) <br />once vegetation is adequately reestablished at the site. While <br />there has been no point source discharge of groundwater from the <br />' facility since 1987, when mine dewatering operations ceased, both <br />the WQD and DMG have recently requested additional information on <br />groundwater in the area of the mine (Attachment A). <br />' It is Homestake's sincere belief that the Bulldog Mine is not <br />adversely affecting beneficial uses of surface or groundwater in <br />the Creede area, and that this letter will satisfactorily address <br />' the inquiries of both regulatory agencies. <br />Hvdrogeologic Framework <br />On March 2, 1994 Homestake submitted to WQD an updated request <br />to inactivate or terminate the NPDES permit at the Bulldog Mine <br />(Attachment B, for DMG). This request presented that the water <br />' level in the mine was near or at an equilibrium elevation of <br />approximately 9176 feet. The lowest most portal of the Bulldog Mine <br />is at the 9360 elevation, or over 180 feet above this groundwater <br />' elevation. During mine development, significant groundwater was not <br />encountered above elevation 9200 feet. Thus, there are no data that <br />would indicated that groundwater would ever discharge from the 9360 <br />' portal elevation. <br />HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY <br />B50 CALIFORNIA STREET • SAN FRANCISCO • CA 9at0&2]88 14 t 51981-8150 <br />1 <br />