2004-03-25_REVISION - M2000041

• Permit No: M2000041
• IBM Index Class Name: Revision
• Doc Date: 3/25/2004
• Doc Name: Technical Review Adequacy Letter
• From: DMG
• To: CR Evans
• Type & Sequence: TR1
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: (303) 86fr3567
FAX: [phone]b
March 25, 2004
CR Evans
231 Nyberg Rd.
Pueblo, CO. 81006
Re: Technical Review Adequacy Letter,
M-2000-041
Dear Mr. Evans:
COLORADO
DIVISION O F
MIN SRALS
GEOLOGY
REC LAMATION•MINING
SAFETT•ECIEN CE
Bill Owens
Governor
Russell George
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cottony
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
Technical Revision Submittal (TR-O1), Evans #2 Pit,
The Division completed a technical review of your technical revision submittal regazding the
proposed decrease in the amount of disturbed acreage at the referenced mine site. Following aze
a few items that need to be addressed:
1. You propose to reduce the amount of disturbed acreage to 70 acres. Currently, the
operator is allowed to mine a 15-acre tract and disturb an additiona160 acres to backfill
the 15-acre excavated hole until such time that all the water rights issues have been
resolved (75 acres total). An $838,618 bond is in place to provide the funds to backfill the
15-acre tract if the water rights issues aze not resolved. Once the water issues aze resolved,
the operator is allowed to excavate the entire 448 acres in 50-acre increments and the
bond can be reduced (significantly) to a level sufficient to reclaim a 50-acre pond azea.
2. Since you propose to only disturb 70 acres (not 448 acres), you need to submit a map that
shows where this acreage is situated. Also, you will need to delineate the proposed 70-
acre tract in the field with appropriate boundary mazkers. You will need to provide a
detailed narrative explaining how the 70 acres will be disturbed. Remember, currently,
only 15 acres can be excavated, the other 60 acres aze needed to provide backfill material
to fill in the excavated hole if the water rights issues aze not resolved. If you reduce the
total disturbed acreage to 70 acres where will all the material come from in order to
adequately backfill the excavated pit?
3. You state that the site will be dry mined. After stripping off topsoil and overburden, how
much sand and gravel do you anticipate excavating before groundwater is encountered? In
order to maintain a dry mine (unless it is dewatered) the operator must remain at least 2
feet above the groundwater table. However, if you do not excavate below the water table
how do you propose to achieve final reclamation? Currently, as approved, the site will be
reclaimed to a 300-acre recreation lake. The shoreline and buffer azeas aze the only part of
the permit that need to be topsoiled and revegetated. The backslopes are to be graded to a
3:1 gradient. ff you decide to revise/change the post-mining land use/reclamation plan you
must submit a permit amendment (see C.R.S. 34-32.5-112(7)). Of course, if you only
intend to reduce the size of the lake, this technical revision will suffice. But, in order to
permanently expose groundwater (create alake/pond), all water rights issues must be
resolved.
Office of Office of Colorado
Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines fanlnvical Cun,w