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~, <br />Vestern Slope <br />May 1, 2006 <br />nvlronmental Reso <br />Sandy Brown <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />Ph: (303) 866-4927, email: sandy.brown@state.co.us <br />Joe Dudash <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver. CO 80203 <br />RECENEO <br />MAY p 1 2046 <br />~~otl,7i~~ ~Geolo9Y <br />Please accept the following comments on the Permit Revision No. 10 <br />(PR-10) for the Bowie No. 2 Mine on behalf of the members of the <br />Western Slope Environmental Resource Council (WSERC). We appreciate <br />the opportunity to provide these written comments. <br />WSERC is a grassroots non-profit conservation organization based in <br />Paonia, Colorado. Our organization promotes "Healthy lands, Healthy <br />Lives", and is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the environment <br />and quality of life in Delta County on Colorado's Western Slope. WSERC <br />was organized in 1977 and now has approximately 450 members. We are <br />one of the oldest grassroots environmental groups in the state, and one <br />of the very few based entirely in a rural, non-resort community. <br />As indicated, we are writing to comment on Permit Revision No. 10 <br />(PR-10) for the Bowie No. 2 Mine. Although we have many concerns <br />regarding this project, we are primarily concerned with water <br />protection. Our concerns include the following: <br />While we are glad to see that water monitoring points have been <br />incorporated into the project planning, we also request that there be <br />water monitoring performed inside the mine, including a way to monitor <br />water production in panels that have been closed. An annual summary <br />and analyses of the monitoring should be provided to interested <br />parties. <br />Great care needs to be taken while approaching the dam and while <br />tunneling under Hubbard creek. There needs to be a water replacement <br />plan approved by the water right owners and the state water court in <br />case water rights are damaged. <br />We also question the mine's ability to save and protect Dove Cave. We <br />want assurance that this feature will indeed be protected. We would <br />like the mine to not pull pillars when they retreat from all of the <br />room and pillar mining under Hubbard Creek, including an appropriate <br />angle of draw. We support the effort being made to preserve the cave <br />due to the historical significance of the cave. What will be done if <br />the structural plan does not succeed in protecting the cave? <br />P.O. Box 1612, Paonia CO 81428 Ph. 970/527-5307 fax970/527-5308 www.wserc.org <br />