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~... <br />~ III IIIIIIIIIIIII III <br />MINED LAND RECLAMATION DIVISION <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman SI.. Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />303 866-3567 <br />Rq x: 303 832-8706 <br />May 27, 1992 <br />Dr. W.D. Corley, Jr. <br />The Corley Company <br />P.O. Box 1821 <br />Colorado Springs, Colorado 80901 <br />RE: Diversion Ditch/Access Road Enforcement Decision, GEC Minerals, <br />The GEC Strip Mine, Permit No. C-81-037 <br />Dear Dr. Corley: <br />OF ~~[p <br />~/~~ 9 <br />'^e(. C <br />0 <br />r'~o'=Jr <br />Roy Ramer, <br />Governor <br />Michael 8. Long. <br />Division Director <br />The Division on April 27, 1992, received your letter regarding a concern with <br />a diversion ditch at the revoked GEC Strip Mine having been possibly converted <br />by Harrison Western Corporation into an access road. You were also Concerned <br />that this access road is now contributing sediment to nearby Magpie Creek. We <br />would like to take this opportunity to respond. <br />The Division has conducted an exhaustive review of the GEC permit files over <br />the last month. In this search, we uncovered only vague references to a <br />diversion ditch being proposed for the area near the base of Stockpile No. 2. <br />A September 23, 1981 hydraulic report by Simons, Li and Associates references <br />t~.ao alterative designs r"or a minor diversion leading into Sediment Pond D. <br />The ccntributing watershed for these ditches, however, was described as one <br />acre, while the actual contributing acreage above the road is closer to 5 <br />acres. None of the Hydrology or Mine Area Maps identify a diversion ditch for <br />this area of concern. <br />An access road into the West Pit is identified on maps in our files. It is <br />poss'ble that this access road included a drainage ditch on its uphill side, <br />'• •'to seep upland water off of the road. It is likely that this drainage ditch <br />silted in after the work completed by GEC in 1985, and that this filled <br />drainage ditch then contributed to the overland flow across the road that <br />eventually led to erosion and off-site sediment deposition. <br />We are also aware that Harrison Western performed reclamation in the West Pit <br />in the fall of 1990. We, however, do not have conclusive evidence that <br />Harrison Western affected the road other than by transporting equipment across <br />it. <br />We received correspondence from you on May 26, 1992, indicating that Energy <br />Fuels has aerial photos from 1988 and 1991 that document damage on the access <br />road. We have asked Energy Fuels to lend us these photos for our review and <br />intend to continue our investigation. <br />~~ <br />• <br />STATE OF COLORADO i' <br />