My WebLink
|
Help
|
About
|
Sign Out
Home
Browse
Search
GENERAL43697
DRMS
>
Back File Migration
>
General Documents
>
GENERAL43697
Metadata
Thumbnails
Annotations
Entry Properties
Last modified
8/24/2016 8:12:30 PM
Creation date
11/23/2007 12:34:13 PM
Metadata
Fields
Template:
DRMS Permit Index
Permit No
M1988112
IBM Index Class Name
General Documents
Doc Date
8/24/1999
Doc Name
NEWSPAPER CLIPPING
Media Type
D
Archive
No
There are no annotations on this page.
Document management portal powered by Laserfiche WebLink 9 © 1998-2015
Laserfiche.
All rights reserved.
/
2
PDF
Print
Pages to print
Enter page numbers and/or page ranges separated by commas. For example, 1,3,5-12.
After downloading, print the document using a PDF reader (e.g. Adobe Reader).
View images
View plain text
antair <br /> <br />Statements about pollution <br />'~' of creek' rossl irres onsible' <br />9 Y p <br /> <br />By SYLVIA LOBATO Robertson."Thegcarc tacticsbeingemployed rain Gold Co. ordering it In immediately take <br />SAN LUIS -Danny E. Robertson, mine are adisservice to the citizens of the San Luis action to halt the illegal Discharge of pollut- <br />manager of the Battle Mountain Resources Valley." ~ ~ - ~ ants from the company's close) gold mine <br />mine near'here contends that concentrations He maintains that the company "self-re- into the Rito Seco Creek near here. <br />of inm and manganese in Rfto Seco periali- ported and has worked with reguletorj%,egeri-~:~14~The mine, located four miles northeast of <br />callyexceededseconJarydrinkingwaterstan- ciestoproperlyaJdcesscertain'exceed2dgla~~,f SenLtiisinCostillaCounty,wasinopemtion <br />darts prior to the company's mining ttctivi- of .water quality standards that pose abso-' ;from 1989 to 1997. <br />ties. lately no risk to human, plant or animal Ilfe;:' :;. ~ Dave 'Akers, division manager of water <br />"As partofaJeliberatecampaignofmisin- 7'heColoradoDepartmentofpublicHeallh.';';':quality+protecrion, stressed at the time the ~ <br />formation, there have been grossly irtespon- and Environment's Water Quality Carilrol :'' notice was served that the company has coop- <br />Bible smtements made about water quality Division Friday issue) a notice of violotlop; ;-,,, --- _ <br />around the company's San Luis Mine;' says ant a cease end desist order to Battle Ivfdun'-`'t': ~ ~ ^ Please see Mlne page 3 <br />II ~C --- - ' -._ . ~ ..~_.~.r__ ~__ .-. -. ~. .y.. ~~~ -- -. . <br />^ Continued from page I <br />crated with the state to address the <br />issue and Robertson pledged to con- <br />tinue working closely with the regu- <br />latory aga¢ies involved. <br />The order issued Friday requires <br />6aule Moumain Gold to notify the <br />W star Quul ity Control Di vision within <br />10 Jays on how it plans to cortect the <br />watercontamination problem that re- <br />sulteJ when water from a refilled <br />min ing pi t overnowed into the nearby <br />creek. <br />Akers explained, "Contaminants <br />Iluwing into the creek include men- <br />ganeseand sulfate and possibly other <br />mewls ant pollutants. It is viral that <br />This seepage be halted immediately." <br />Roberttun said the company vol- <br />untarily partially backfilled the well <br />San Luis pit. ffe explained that, es <br />water percolates through the freshly <br />back~IleJ rruk, it "picks up some <br />naturally occurring consituents, just <br />as occurs when water flows over a <br />new roaJ cut or a freshly plowed <br />Held." <br />Groundwater near the pit shows <br />excessive amounts of total dissolved <br />solids such as sulfates, manganese <br />ant fluoride, but Robertson said the <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />looked closely at this artd stated that <br />"there are nohealth-related problems <br />with high sulfate:' <br />Akers said that, in aJdition to re- <br />quiring the mining company to cor- <br />rect the water pollution problem, the <br />department will be considering <br />whether to impose civil monetary <br />penalties of to require the company to <br />perform supplementary environmen- <br />tal rcstorationprojects, separate from <br />the scope of the problem, to enhance <br />the environmental quality of the area. <br />He said Houston-based Battle <br />Mountain Gold Company has been <br />cooperative and has attempted to stop <br />the seepagf into the creek. <br />"Since Battle Mountain's first re- <br />port tothe division in Goober 1998 of <br />a seep from the west pit, four addi- <br />tionalsaps have been identified. This <br />seepage occurred due to high water <br />levels in the mining pit, which is ad- <br />jacem,to Rim Seco Creek. Aaempts <br />by Battle Mountoin Gold have not <br />been succFss(ul,"Akers said. <br />Robertson maintains thrt the water <br />reaching the creek exceeJs only two <br />waterquality parameters, the second- <br />ary drinking water standards for iron <br />and manganese. <br />"Secondary standards are not set <br />for health related.reasons end <br />e><ceedences in the creek do ndt cause <br />any health problems;' he contends. <br />He quotes the Colorado Division of <br />Minerals and Geology as saying, "this <br />is a technical issue because the dis- <br />charge esceeds the manganese stan- <br />dards, yet poses no environmental <br />risk..:' <br />Additional directives stipulated in <br />the order require shat Battle Mountai n <br />take the following actions upon re- <br />ttipl of the order: <br />Within 10 days, submit an appli- <br />cation to the Water Quality Control <br />Division for a Colorado Discharge <br />System permit for the discharge from <br />the West pit to groundwater and for <br />any remaining discharges from seeps <br />of groundwater from the pit into the <br />creek. Such a permit wool) specify <br />and limit the amuums of pollutants <br />allowed in such a Discharge. <br />• Within 30 days, notify the Divi- <br />sion in writing as to what measures <br />will be taken tuensure that no further <br />illegal Discharges occur ant submit a <br />plan derailing the frequency of tnoni• <br />toting for appropriate parameters in <br />the grounJwaler, at appropriate points <br />between the pit end the creek. <br />LI <br />r1 <br />
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.