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<br />• III IIIIIIIIIIIII III • <br />~9it~1,E OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department o(Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />Phone: 13031 866-3567 <br />FAX: (3031 832-8106 <br />October 14, 1993 <br />Attn: Larry Ahite <br />1650 M street <br />Penrose, CO 81240 <br />Re: Reclamation Zssues, Twin Pines Limited Investment <br />Twin Pines Mine g2, (C-83-058) <br />Dear Larry: <br />OF'~~lp <br />~ :4 <br />Nc ~ ~~ <br />~. <br />~B ]6 ~ <br />Roy Romer <br />Governor <br />Michael B. Long <br />Division Direcror <br />The Division has reviewed your proposal concerning reclamation <br />issues, discussed on August 31,1993 and have the following <br />comments. <br />1. Concerning the Lewis Gulch Fill, the Division stands by the <br />approved Twin Pines reclamation plan, and Twin Pines' previous <br />commitment, to remove the fill from the Lewis Gulch. The Division <br />has determined that the permittee's proposed designation of the <br />fill as a "sediment control structure", and the permittee's <br />subsequent request to leave the fill in the gulch for this purpose, <br />is inappropriate, as the fill has a culvert installed in the bottom <br />of the fill that would allow sediment to pass through the fill <br />without being treated. Furthermore, the potential exists for <br />sloughing of drainage sideslopes that could cause the culvert to <br />back up with an instantaneous sediment load. Additionally, since <br />the original design purpose was for a truck turn-around, and trucks <br />will no longer be utilized on the site, the fill must be removed. <br />Another consideration in this decision concerned whether the final <br />reclamation topography would meet the approximate original <br />topography. The Division is aware that the Twin Pines Mine #2 <br />operates within pre-law areas, and that achieving the approximate <br />original contours (AOC) will be difficult. However, with the <br />additional sediment from the fill, AOC can better be accomplished. <br />Indeed, accomplishing any stable gradient in the two upslope bench <br />areas of the facility and substation is paramount. Use of slough <br />material such as from the area above the substation roadcut for a <br />substitute, if removed from its native location, would cause <br />additional instability in the area, and therefore, must remain in <br />place for stability to be reached naturally. Removing the toe of <br />the sloughed material for reclamation backfilling would also cause <br />instability in the road cut areas, and as such should be avoided. <br />2. Since the fill is to be removed, the adjacent downstream <br />sediment pond structure must be reconstructed during the backfill <br />and grading process, since the pond and the Lewis Gulch Fill <br />