2005-09-26_REVISION - M1980193 (3)

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August 25, 2005 _ /., ~~.~ ~,. : , ~! ROCBT M08NT81N M8TE8I8LS & 8SP886T INC. 1910 Rand Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Sokol Gravel Pit To Whom It May Concern; I would like to take this opportunity to address some of the concerns that have been brought forward by the surrounding residents of the Sokol Gravel Pit. A. Dust and Water Pollution: There are several permits that must be acquired to operate a gravel pit in the State of Colorado. We will be obtaining an air pollution permit, stormwater discharge permit, and commercial well permits. These permits all come with state regulations that are monitored very closely to ensure that we are in compliance at all times. Commercial wells are required to be drilled into deeper water tables than residential wells and should not effect your water. Any stormwater that comes in contact with a disturbed area must be contained on the site. This water cannot leave our site or cause erosion damage to other land surrounding us. Along with this, all lubricants and fuel must be stored in a covered area and protected from the environment. All water that is used in the production of sand and gravel is 100% consumed by these processes. When the water is pumped from the well, it is continually cleaned and recycled until it has left the site by transporting the processed materials. Rocky Mountain Materials works very diligently to ensure that we remain in compliance with all of the required permits at all of our facilities. B. Asphalt/Concrete Plants: As a result of the concerns of an asphalt or concrete plant in this area, this item has been removed from the application at this time. C. Noise and Lights: These are concerns that are raised by surrounding residents at all gravel operations. To eliminate some of the effects of mining to our neighbors, it is our practice to excavate the material to the lowest grade possible at the beginning of operations. This allows us to put our process equipment down in a hole that should not be visible to the surrounding area. This cuts down on the light that is visible off-site. As well, the noise from the process equipment is absorbed by the material banks surrounding the plant. There are also several engineering controls used to suppress the noise created by processing sand and gravel. The use of rubber or polyurethane screens greatly reduces the noise of screening sand. As well, these operations will be wet operations. This not only helps eliminate any air pollution, it also allows the materials to slide and move more easily on metal surfaces thus reducing the impact and grinding action on metal surfaces. 473-3100 • Fax 473-3109