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REPORT ON THE POTENTIAL CAUSES OF SUBSIDENCE OF THE <br />SOLITARIO RANCH HOUSE <br />Las Animas County, Colorado <br />January, 1995 <br />Carlton E. Gerity P.E. <br />INTRODUCTION <br />This report is a summary of a review of information and evaluation concerning the <br />causes of subsidence on the Tatum ranch house, including potential effects of <br />underground coal mining at the Golden Eagle Mine of Basin Resources. It has been <br />done at the request of Ann Tatum, owner. The house is located on the south side of <br />Highway 13 on the Solitario Ranch. The Solitario Ranch is located in Las Animas <br />County, Colorado, approximately 25 miles west of Trinidad in the Weston, Colorado <br />area. The Golden Eagle mine's incline and operations area are located about 1.3 mi <br />to the East. <br />As part of this evaluation, part of one day was spent reviewing the files at the <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology, one day was spent reviewing reference <br />information, and one day was spent in the field at the site. <br />PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS <br />There have been three reports written concerning the ground movement which has <br />damaged the ranch house. <br />The first, written March 8, 1993, by the Colorado Real Estate Inspection Service, <br />Inc. concludes that the damage to the house is caused by the "subsidence of soils <br />supporting the ranch house." There is no statement as to the cause of this <br />subsidence, except vague references concerning possible ponding of water around <br />the house. No soil tests were conducted, and no elevations were determined. <br />The second written May 24, 1993 by Vince J. Vigil, Las Animas County Building <br />Inspector, confirms the damage to the house and attributes the damage to <br />underground coal mining to the south of the residence. No other tests were <br />conducted. The report notes that the house was built in 1900 and had sustained no <br />damage until the recent problems. <br />'.'he third report was written in March 1994 by KI,P Consulting Engineers, Inc, and <br />CTL/ Thompson, Inc., at the request of Basin Resources. The conclusions of this <br />report are that "Structural distress is clearly localized to the east wall and eastern <br />portion of the residence" The cause of this distress is concluded to be the lack of <br />PIONEER ENGINEERING <br />