GENERAL34390

• Permit No: M1977342
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 9/6/2005
• Doc Name: Potential for use as an Underground Physics Research Facility
• From: DMG
• To: Ron Cattany
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY +~ /lCS
~'1
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215 C O L D RA D O
DenVef, GOlorado 80203 DIVISION O F
MIN
RAL S
Phone: [phone] E
FAX: [phone] G E O L O G Y
REC LANATION•MINING
E~FETY•ECIENCE
DATE: September 6, 2005 / BiII Owens
Governor
TO: Ron Cattany ~ Russeu George
Enecutive Director

FROM: Allen Sorenson ~ Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
RE: Potential for use as an Underground Physics Research Facility, Henderson Mine,
Climax Molybdenum Company, Permit No. M-1977-342 /
The following facilities would likely remain operational following the conclusion of mining at Henderson if
the underground mine were to be selected for the National Underground Science and Engineering
Laboratory (NiJSEL):
• The hoist house and headframe.
• Ventilation shafts, fans, and facilities.
• Utility lines and power substation.
• Paved access road, guazdhouse, and pazking lot.
• Office and mine dry facilities.
• Surface Shop and Warehouse.
• Sewage Treatment and Potable Water Plants.
• Pipeline to the Urad Water Treatment Plant.
The mine facilities area, where all of the above listed structures are located, has already been approved for
limited industriaUcommercialpnst-mining land use. Clear Creek County is on record with the DMG as
being fully supportive of industrial/commercial use of the Henderson facilities following the completion of
mining. A revision or amendment to the reclamation permit would be necessary to allow all of the above
listed structures to remain in the post mine setting.
Currently, 1000 gallons per minute of water is pumped from the Henderson Mine and piped to the Urad
Treatment Plant, where the water is treated and released to a tributary of the North Fork of Clear Creek.
The Urad Plant also treats seepage water from the pre-law Urad Mill tailings, and so will likely operate in
perpetuity. The Henderson Mine water is non-tributary, has been developed as a water resource by
Henderson, and is currently being sold to the City of Golden. The reclamation permit provides Henderson
the option to continue dewatering the mine in the post mine setting in order to continue to realize the value
of the developed water resource, and also as a potential mechanism of transferring their west slope water
rights to the east slope through the existing ore conveyance tunnel from the Williams Fork valley in Grand
County to the Henderson Mine in Cleaz Creek County. Since continued dewatering would be required for
the NUSEL, locating the laboratory at Henderson would provide additional economic incentive to continue
dewatering after mining ceases, assuring that the 1000 gpm non-tributary water resource would not be
abandoned and providing flexibility in the use of the Grand County water rights.
Office of Office of Colorado
Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survev