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^III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 999 GROW RESPONSIBLY IN PLATTEVILLE (GRIP)* June 13, 2002 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Division of Water Quality Control 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South Denvcr, Colorado 80246-1530 RE: Permit Number: COG50000, Facility number: COG50034G Dear Sir or Madam: We live near the Varra Sand and Gravel Pit Located on Highway G6 in Platteville. At the time of their application for permits to operate their gravel pit, your agency issued Vazra a permit to discharge water in to the Saint Vrain drainage. That permit expires on September 30, 2002. We aze asking that you NOT renew the permit until Vazra changes its method of operation to .vet mining. We are also asking that we be included as pazties in any public process conducted by your agency in the discharge permit renewal process. Vazra is currently mining several deep pits, the lazgest of which is permitted to extend over 83+ acres and up to 40 feet deep. When Vazra stazted mining in 2000, it is our understanding that wells in the immediate vicinity went dry and were deepened. As their mining operation has progressed, neighbors within 1.5 miles of Varra's operation have documented a severe drop in the levels of their wells that has coincided with the opening of the lazgest of the pits. Meanwhile the Varra operation is pumping copious amounts of groundwater into the Saint Vcain River to the North and downstream of our wells. This artificially lowers the water table accessed by well owners to the East and South of their operation, and artificially inflates surface water available downstream from the point of dewatering. Currenty, permitting agencies are requiring other mining applicants the immediate vicinity of Vazra's Highway GG operation to wet mine. Vazras continued dry mining will undermine the efforts of other gravel pit owners to preserve the water table.