GENERAL54563 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

iii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii LAW OFFICE of DOUG GEORGE 1115 Main Street, A)amosa, CO 81101 Fax No. (719) 589-1450 ~~SV' ~ Cc`\T March 3, 2000 Gregory Watcher, Director Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman, Room 718 Dem~er. CO 80203 RE: Indication of Rito Seco Upstream Contamination, Costilla County, Colorado Dear Mr. Watcher: _~ ('?19) 589-6767 RE~ENED ~pR ~ g 2000 glNSCC~n of Mi~cab &~~W9Y This letter is written with reference to the matters also referenced in the "Notice of Violation and Intent to Sue Pursuant to the Clean Water Act," dated August 4, 1999, which concerned seeps identified on Battle Mountain Gild property located near San Luis, Colorado. It is my understanding that testing from those seeps identified the discharge of several pollutants including calcium, fluoride, manganese (dissolved), manganese (total), sulphate, TDS, iron (dissolved), iron (total), chloride, potassium, silica (dissolved), silica (total), cadmium, and copper. At a location approximately 1 mile do~wlstream of the Battle Mountain Gold discharge, my clients, Shalom Ranch and Sandy Cooper, operate a well aid irrigation center pivot, which irrigates their alfalfa field. That well and center pivot provide the water for the crop that furnishes feed for the Shalom Ranch operation. "Phis well has operated for many years producing 800 gallons of water per minute. However, in August of 1999, the well lost 50% of its production, resulting in a production of 400 gallons per minute. Mr. Cooper investigated the problem thoroughly by the involvement of well experts and others; and, after other potential causes of the problem were eliminated (e.g. less water available), he was left with the remaining concern of an unusual and rapid corrosion of the metal parts involved in the well's operation. The corrosion included large white "boils" which only appeared on the casing below the water table and which resulted in clogging of 90% of the pipe perforations. A piping system, used to vacuum out the well, rusted considerably and also developed white deposits, even though that line was only in the hole for approximately 2 weeks.