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<br />Colorado State Division of Reclamation <br />Mining and Safety <br />1313 Sherman St. <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />i Y <br />/IJLVicIPfl ' : gm'3~1~ <br />~M~~ <br />April 19, 2007 <br />Subject: Holcim (US) Inc. Construction Materials Reclamation Permit Amendment Application, Coaldale <br />Gypsum Quarry, Permit M-1977-247 V <br />Dear Board Members: <br />This is to inform you of our very strong feelings that the subject permit should be denied. When we bought <br />our adjoining 40 acres and built our home ] 0 years ago the mine was undergoing reclamation. We moved <br />here to enjoy the clean air and quiet environment. It is our understanding that the physical reclamation <br />work has been completed and is awaiting some Colorado State approval. We would hate to see the <br />recovery work and the natural process to return the land to usable wildlife habitat destroyed. <br />- There are many reasons that the proposed permit would wrongly affect the entire community and especially <br />landowners near the quarry. Some reasons follow: <br />]. Operations creating noise, dust, water consumption, road degradation, and increased potential for <br />vehicle accidents are all a certainty. <br />2. Blasting also will surely impact structures and wells. <br />3. There will be a loss of local people to provide support for the community as fewer people move <br />into the area and it may cause some of us to leave. Thus, the demand for the local contractors such <br />as electricians, plumbers, backhoe operators, road maintenance people, and building construction <br />and modification folks will be less. With reduced demand for these contractors it may cause them <br />to move away as well putting a bigger impact on the locals that remain. <br />4. Holcim says five to eight part-time people will work in the four to six months of blasting, crushing, <br />and stock piling the material. Blasting will surely NOT be done with Coaldale people! This permit <br />does not add value to the community. Most part-time employees will not be living in Coaldale. <br />5. People living in Coaldale will also likely NOT be transporting the finished material to Florence in <br />25-ton trucks! These, minimum of eight to fifteen trucks per day all year will greatly add to the <br />traffic on local roads and Highway 50 to Florence. We often have 18-wheelers turning over and <br />dumping their cargo in the Arkansas River and blocking traffic for hours. This greatly impacts <br />safety to others and the ability to transport people to hospitals. What will 15 tons of gypsum due to <br />the fish in the river? <br />6. Many of us purchased our property based on information that the mine would not reopen. <br />Therefore, we are concerned for our structures, our wells, and our overall environment. Many of <br />us moved here because of allergies and-the potential for the dust that will be created concerns us <br />tremendously. We are concerned for our property values and can foresee a major problem in trying <br />to sell our property when it becomes necessary. <br />Coaldale is no longer the mining community that it was 20 years ago. Today there are many retired people <br />and many homes have been built near the mine property. Please help us keep the property in its present <br />condition, approve the existing reclamation work (assuming it meets requirements), and let the wildlife and <br />the Coaldale people enjoy the great life they have today. <br />Thanks for your time and please agree with a majority of the people of Coaldale that the area is not mea_ nt <br />to re to mining. Please, stron ly disapprove the subject Holcim permit application. <br />~~ ~ ~~ti ~ <br />Robert M. and Shar n R. McCafferty <br />PO Box 202 <br />Coaldale, CO 81222 <br />