GENERAL44473

• Permit No: C1981013
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 1/14/1994
• Doc Name: CITZIENZ COMPLAINTS BASIN RESOURCES INC GOLDEN EAGLE MINE DMG PN C-81-013
• From: DMG
• To: CDOH
• Permit Index Doc Type: PUBLIC CORRESPONDENCE
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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999
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman SI., Room Z15
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: [phone]
FA%:(7031832-8106
January 14, 1994
STATE OF COLORADO
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Roy Romer
Governor
Michael B. Lang
Division Director
Mr. James Geier
Colorado Department of Health
APCD, Stationary Sources
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Bldg. B-1
Denver, CO 80222
RE: Citizen's Complaints, Basin Resources, Inc., The Golden Eagle Mine, DMG Permit No.
C-81-013
Dear Mr. Geier:
On April 14, 1992, Mr. Jim Tatum (8703 Bonhomme, Houston, Texas 77074) contacted our offices
by telephone to discuss his concerns with the potential for an explosion occurring as the result
of methane being vented from an underground coal mine in Las Animas County, Colorado.
Mr. Tatum owns the property upon which the Golden Eagle Mine's NW-1 exhaust fan is situated.
The Division wrote to Mr. Tatum in a letter dated April 15, 1992 (copy enclosed) directing him to
contact APCD regarding his concerns, as the mine had, at the time, an air emissions permit for
methane venting. On October 27, 1992, we received a copy of a letter sent to Basin Resources,
dated October 26, 1992, from Mr. Chazles Baldwin, discussing simihu concerns (copy enclosed).
On November 5, 1992, we received a telephone call from Mr. Michael Ossola, Las Animas County
Planning and Land Use Dvector, regarding a call he had received from Mr. Baldwin about the mine
exhaust potentially affecting the vegetation in its path. Mr. Ossola indicated that he and
Mr. John Martinez with the Las Animas County Health Department had inspected the site. On
November 9, 1992, we received a copy of a letter from Mr. Ossola to Basin Resources, Inc.
regarding the mine fan exhaust, among other things.
On November 10, 1992, we contacted Mr. Martinez to discuss his observations. Mr. Martinez
indicated that 2-3 trees about 75 feet from the fan were starting to turn brown. On
November 12, 1992, we contacted Cathy Rhodes with APCD to discuss our concern that while the
mine has several air emission permits, none seemed to exist for the mine exhaust fan. Ms. Rhodes
indicated that as of the Spring of 1992, air emission permits were no longer required for methane
exhaust. However, she indicated that mining operators were required to report to APCD the amount
of methane and exhaust compounds in tons/year.
On November 20, 1992, we contacted Mr. Arch Crouse with APCD to discuss the complaints we
had received from Mr. Tatum and Mr. Baldwin. Mr. Crouse indicated to us that he would look into
the matter, that Mr. Harry Collier was the Senior Air Pollution Control Specialist for the area, and
that the permittee's air quality data would probably be given to Mr. Lewis McBride with APCD.