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<br /> STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />131 3 Sherman SL, Roam 21 S <br /> <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 D I V I S I O N O F <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 MINERAL S <br />FAX: (303) 832.8106 & <br /> GEOLOGY <br /> 0.EC LAMA710N <br />MINING•SAFETY <br />January 28, 2002 <br /> Bill Owens <br />Mr. Ron Leef Governor <br />20501 Hi hwa 12 <br />9 Y Greg E. Walther <br />Executive Director <br />Weston, CO 81091 Michael B. Long <br /> Division Director <br />RE: Citizen Complaint Inspection, lorencito Canyon Mine, #C-96-084 <br />Mr. Leef: <br />fn accordance with Rule 5.02.5(4) of the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land <br />Reclamation Board, please find enclosed the results of the Division's inspection of the <br />Lorenciio Canyon Mine on January 22, 2002. The inspection was initiated as a result of <br />your written citizen's complaint received by the Division on January 14, 2002 and upon <br />your approval, was not kept confidential. You were present during our inspection on <br />Tuesday, January 22. As you know, due to extremely high winds, no blasting was <br />conducted on this day. <br />Regarding your~first concern (coal dust in the river), the Division declines at this time to <br />take an enforcement action. However, we have requested the assistance of the Air <br />Quality Control Division in determining whether dust levels in and adjacent to the coal <br />loadout are in excess of allowable levels. This issue remains outstanding at this time. <br />Your second concern was the alleged shaking of your residence as a result of blasting <br />operations at the mine. Division review of blast logs for all blasts conducted by the mine <br />indicates that the mine is preparing, loading, and conducting blasts in such a way that <br />airblast and ground motion at your residence should be well below allowable levels: You <br />declined the Division's offer to use a seismograph to record and document any vibration <br />at your home. The Division has the capability to use a seismograph to confirm ground <br />motion and airblas4 and is currently pursuing plans to conduct blast monitoring at other <br />locations. Due to the lack of any specific evidence as to the level and degree of <br />vibration and/or airblast resulting from Lorencito's blasting, the Division did not take any <br />enforcement action. However, blasting continues to be an area of concern, due to the <br />proximity of the residents in and around Primero. Should you change your mind <br />regarding placement of a seismograph at your home, please let us know. <br />Your third concern was related to potential poisonous gases resulting from blasting <br />operations. As we discussed, nitrous dioxide is a potential by-product of blasting in <br />some situations. Mine personnel were questioned as to the presence of an orange <br />cloud following blasting, a generally accepted, visual indicator of nitrous dioxide. They <br />indicated they had not witnessed this phenomenon and explained the technical reasons <br />