ENFORCE35653

• Permit No: M1988112
• IBM Index Class Name: Enforcement
• Doc Date: 1/11/1999
• Doc Name: FAX COVER SAN LUIS PROJECT PN M-88-112 WQCD COMMENTS ON GW PROBLEM
• From: DMG
• To: STEVE BROWN
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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STATE OF COLORADO
Rov Romer, Governor
Patti Shwayder, E<ecutive Director ~~, OF o~~o'
Dedicated to protecOng and improving the health and environment o! the people o! Colorado „~% ~ ~ a
.y~. Q.
4700 Cherry Creek Dr. 5. Laboratory and Radiation Services Division C ~ `t.~~' ~
Denver, Colorado A0246~[630 8100 Lowry Blvd. RECEIVES •revg•
Phone (}Ol) 692-2000 Denver CO 80?206928
located in Glendale, Colorado 1]031 692-3090
JAM U'7 ~ggg ColoradoDeparunent
http:/Avww,cdphestate.co. us of Public Health
and Enmm~ment
'4vls~on of Minerals a Georogy
January 5, 1999
Mr. Bruce Humphries Ms. Anne Baldrige
Program Supervisor, Minerals Vice President, Environmental and Govkrnmental Affairs
Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology Battle Mountain Gold
1313 Sherman Street, Room 2l5 333 Clay Street, Suite 4200
Denver, CO 80203 Houston, TX 77002-4103
Subject: WQCD Comments Regarding the Battle Mountain Resources, Inc. TR-151Response Plan -
Supplemental Monitoring at West Pit, BMRI's San Luis Mine Project, CDMG Permit No. M-88-112,
November 1998, Costilla County
Dear Mr. Humphries and Ms. Baldrige:
The Water Quality Controt Division (WQCD) has reviewed the Battle Mountain Resources, I c. (BMRI) TR-IS
Response Plan, dated November 1998 for Supplemental Monitoring at West Pit, BMRI's San uis Mine Project,
Costilla County, Colorado, CDMG Permit No. M-88-112. Based upon our review of th s plan, as well as
updates regazding site conditions at BMRI's San Luis Mine site from CDMG staff during D cember 1998, the
WQCD has the following comments.
As indicated in the BMRI TR-15 Response Plan, on October 27, 1998, Battle Mounta'~ Resources, Inc.
discovered a seep in the vicinity of the West Pit backfill, situated immediately downhill from a location of well
PW-l. This seep was flowing at approximately l0 gpm exiting the bank above [he Rito Sec and flowing into
this stream. Within 24 hours BMRI convacted with a backhoe to dig a collection trench to ollect and contain
the Flows and pump them back into the West Pit area. BMRI also notified CDMG and WQ D within 24 hours
of noting this seep. The WQCD received a letter from Anne Baldrige dated November 2, 998, notifying the
Division of the seep and a water quality analysis of the seep was attached.
The TR-IS Response Plan includes further discussion of: the system for collecting, containin and pumping the
seep and other ground water sources back to the West Pit area; supplemental installation nd monitoring of
additional ground water monitoring wells; additional hydrologic, geochemical, and water uality evaluations
for further chazac[erization of the West Pit area; and short-term and long-term response inve tigations including
treatment of the ground water. The WQCD does no[ have any specific comments regardin these items of the
response plan, except as related to the following items of concern.
In ongoing verbal correspondence between both Divisions during December 1998, the WQCD requested that
CDMG evaluate [he Battle Mountain San Luis Mine site to verify if any more seeps we a entering surface
waters into Ri[o Seco. In a subsequent phone call on December 15, 1998, CDMG inform d the WQCD that
some of the seep was still entering Rito Seco; but that this seep to surface waters had been re uced from 10 gpm
to 1 gpm.