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BRUCE C. BERTRAM 785 North Grand Mesa Drive Cedaredge, CO 81413 (970)856-7688 Dalta county Iplannktg Dept irate Hacerau ___,_ Z / o.r. By: p2 February 14, 2005 Delta County Planning Department 501 Palmer Street, Suite 227 Delta, CO 81418 RE: SD05-001 Benson Brothers, Red Canyon Shale/gravel Pit Lot 2, NWNW 13 T13S-R95W Planning Department, The following responses and comments are submitted on behalf of myself and relatives who co-own property east of the Benson Brothers' property. There are 1320 feet of common boundary between our properties which essentially follows a ridge Crest that visually antl physically separates our property from the proposed operations. We are aware of the other permits the Benson Brothers must acquire and the issues which are covered in those other permits. All of our concerns are listetl, however, without regard to which jurisdictions may ultimately control the issues. The same area where the proposed quarry lies has been mined for shale and coal in the past; coal in both underground and surtace open pit mines. We have witnessed the impacts of those earlier operations and the reclamation of the open pit mine. The Benson Brothers have operated the Red Hill quarry, a similar shale pit just east and within view of our property for the past several years. They are now in the process of closing and reclaiming that pit. It is the knowledge of the past mining in the same area of the proposed quarry and the direct impact of the now closing shale pit that the following concerns are submitted to the County for its' consideration. • No se: The earlier mining operations at the proposed site could be heard over the ridge at our ranch and family homes. It is requested that Benson Brothers be required to minimize the noise of the mobile equipment and the equipment back-up alarms. It is requested that the electric generators providing power for the crusher be equipped with industrial mufflers and oriented or shielded to minimize off site noise. • Dust: West to east blowing winds could bring fugitive dust toward and over to our property just east of the site. It is requested the crushers, screens, and support equipment be equipped with sprinkler and mist systems to curb the production of fugitive dust. The larger quantities of dust produced from the Benson Brothers' Red Hill quarry sometimes occurred when the overburden was being stripped and the shale was being pushed to the crusher area by a large bulldozer. • Pit and minino activity boundaries should be restricted to the west side of the north-south ridge crest separating our property from the proposed quarry. During a field meeting with the Benson Brothers they indicated a 200 foot stand-off from the property boundaries would be voluntarily put in place. Although the 200 foot off set would in some areas of our common boundary keep the activity west and off the crest of the separating ridge, there are some