Laserfiche WebLink
STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY t~ <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 <br />FAX: (303) 832-8106 <br />April 15, 2004 <br />Mr. Bruce D, Smith <br />Western Water and Land, Inc.: <br />743 Horizon Court, Suite 330 <br />Grand Junction, Colorado 81506 <br />COLORADO <br />DIVISION O F <br />MIN SRALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />0.EC LAMATION•MINING <br />SAFETY•SCIENCE <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br />Russell George <br />Executive Director <br />Ronald W. Cattany <br />Division Director <br />Natural Resource Trustee <br />RE: Logan Wash, Permit No. M-1977-424, Technical Revision No. 4 Portal Seal Evaluation Response '~ <br />Dear Mr. Smith: <br />Upon review of your response to DMG's evaluation of the Research Mine portal seal, the following <br />adequacy concerns remain to be addressed by the April 19, 2004 decision deadline. These concerns are in <br />addition to the road/berm reclamation issue that was noted in DMG's letter dated April z, 2004. <br />To avoid placement of stipulations on the approval of Technical Revision No. 4 (TR-04) please <br />indicate acceptance of, and a commitment to comply with, each of these requirements. Regarding <br />the required monitoring period, DMG agrees with the April to December period, to be suspended <br />each year after the head has peaked and subsided to zero. The monitoring is to resume in any <br />given year, should conditions occur that could reasonably result in a significant increase of mine <br />pool head behind the Research Mine Portal Seal. <br />2. DMG agrees with the proposed spring and seep reconnaissance and monitoring plan proposed. <br />However, any discharge from the mine, either though a pipe or via a shortcut to a seep is viewed as <br />a discharge of groundwater to surface water. If no springs or seeps are initially found and none <br />develop while the portal seal is being evaluated, then there would be no problem. The monitoring <br />plan is required to help determine if mine water is in fact discharging to the surface, should a spring <br />or seep be initially observed or develop. DMG does not recommend waiting to see if any springs or <br />seeps develop. This would most likely result in significant delays in determining if the mine pool is in <br />communication with the detected discharge. Therefore, DMG requires either: 1) a demonstration <br />that no near term short-circuiting from the mine pool to the surface is or will occur during the portal <br />seal monitoring period; 2) a monitoring plan that will result in positive identification of mine pool <br />discharge, should it occur; or; 3) a demonstration that the mine pool water meets or exceeds the <br />CDPS discharge permit standards. <br />If you need additional information, please contact me at the Division of Minerals and Geology, Grand <br />Junction Field Office, 101 South Third Street, Room 301, Grand Junction, Colorado 81501, telephone no. <br />970-243-6368. <br />Sincerely, <br />_~~~ /mil <br />Steve S. Shuey <br />Environmental Protection Specialist <br />Office of Office of Colorado <br />w ~:...,d I....d D....I+...+...... •NF~n .....1 InaN{.•n AAfnee f:nnlnoir~l 4irvuv <br />