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STATE OF COLORADO ~11C H/.A6 O. LA`AN. ,we~~~~ <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />D. Monte Pascoe, Executive Director <br />MINED LAND RECLAMATION <br />423 Centennial Building, 13Y 3 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 Tel. (30$) 866-3567 <br />David C. Shelton <br />Director <br />November 8, 1982 <br />Mr. Allen D. Klein, Administrator <br />Western Technical Center <br />Office of Surface Mining <br />1020 - 15th Street <br />Denver, Colorado 80202 <br />Dear Mr. KZ ei n: <br />Our staff has reviewed the concerns noted in your letter to Dave Shelton of <br />November 2, 1982 regarding overburden sampling requirements for the Colowyo <br />Mine, as outlined in the Division's Findings of Compliance. I would like <br />to stress that the amount of overburden geochemistry baseline data submitted <br />by Colowyo was deemed adequate based on the hydrologic characteristics of <br />the Colowyo permit area and specific aspects of colowyo's mining ana <br />reclamation plan. <br />Responses to each of the specific problems identified by OSdi are presented <br />below: <br />1. The Division concurs that a single core hole does not completely <br />characterize the geochemical properties of strata throughout the <br />entire Colowyo permit area. Nowever, ground water on the permit area <br />exists only in small, laterally discontinuous perched aquifers, as <br />demonstrated by drill logs and test hole information collected by <br />Colowyo and the USGS and contained within the application. The <br />Division is satisfied that there is no potential for degradation of <br />anyregional aquifers, even if toxic materials were to be encountexed, <br />The Division feels the monitoring plan submitted by Colowyo will <br />allow for the identification and appropriate handling of any over- <br />burden material which might adversely affect reveyetation efforts. <br />The nature of the Colowyo operation (multiple seam with relatively <br />slow pit progression) coupled with the fact that no toxic overburden <br />effects on revegetation have been noted to date at Colowyo, or at <br />other mines in northwestern Colorado, were factors considered by the <br />Division in assessing the adequacy of the overburden baseline <br />information. <br />