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+ <br />• <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />DeP~~nmem of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St.. Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80207 <br />Phone: (303) A66-3567 <br />FAX 1303) A32~8106 <br />February 14, 2000 <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />FOR YOUR CORRESPONDENCE FILE <br />Rich Muza <br />United States Environmental Protection Agency <br />Region 8 <br />999 18th Street -Suite 500 <br />Denver CO 80202-2466 <br />J. David Holm, Director <br />Water Quality Division <br />Colorado Department of Public Hea][h <br />and Environment <br />4300 Cherry Creek Drive South <br />Denver CO 80246-1530 <br />DIVISION OF <br />MINEfiALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />RECLAMATION <br />MINING•SAFE T7 <br />B~II Owens <br />Governor <br />Greg E. Walther <br />Eneculwe Director <br />~`~~chael B Long <br />Division Diieaor <br />Re: Followup Response to £PA's January 18, 2000 Report Involving Recommendations for <br />Groundwater Monitoring in the San Luis Area <br />Dear Mr. Muza and Mr. Holm: <br />Pursuant to our discussion at the February 4, 2000 meeting, the DMG is submitting an additional <br />response to the EPA's January 18, 2000 report in order to briefly describe certain events that <br />have occurred since July, 1998 at the San Luis Project, DMG permit M-88-112, vahich affected <br />groundwater and surface water quality within the permitted property. Also, the DivIG will briefly <br />describe the measures taken by Battle Mountain Resources, Inc. (BMRI) to mitig;tte the problem. <br />If successful, the mitigative measures will provide for the future protection of groundwater and <br />surface water quality within, and outside, the permitted azea. This is DMG's followup response <br />to EPA's January 18, 2000 report involving recommendations for groundwater monitoring near <br />the town of San Luis in Costilla County. <br />In July, 1998, TDS levels at the M-1 IR point of compliance exceeded approved Permit condition <br />values. TDS levels continued to exceed permit condition values in both required ~+erification <br />samples. BMRI then submitted a Response Plan, as required, which outlined several mitigative <br />measures including drilling several additional monitoring wells in the vicinity of the West Pit. <br />After sampling the new monitoring wells it was obvious that a contaminant plume (elevated <br />TDS, sulphate and manganese) existed in the Rito Seco alluvium. It appeared that the plume was <br />migrating downgradient. <br />iiiiiiiuiiiiiuiu ~ <br />Meanwhile, in the latter part of 1998, several seeps were discovered along the north bank of the <br />