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III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 999 January Z, 19K9 Office of Mined Land Reclamation Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman St Room 423 Denver, Colorado 80233-2273 ~~~~/ ,1qN ~© R~C~~~ ~ o ~NRS D N DI V ~S~pN Dear Sirs: I would like to register a public protest against the Battle Mountain Gold Company. I teach elementary school children at the Centennial School District in San Luis, Colorado and I am very concerned about the health haTard the gold mine is placing on our school and community Battle Mountain Gold Mine Company plans to place its ryanide leach pads and tailings dam within the flood plain of the Rito Seco area. This plan could have a devastating effect on our school and community should there ever be a flood or other natural disaster. The cyanide leach pads, which will be approximately three miles away, are entirely too close to our school and our children. The fact that the mine will be using 900 tons of cyanide within a one yeaz period is very c.isturbing and extremely frightening. If the leach pads ever spill their contents, the natural path of contaminated water flow will be directly through our school building and playground. I would like to be assured that our children and our community are going to be fully protected from such a tragedy ever occurring. This would totally disrupt all educational functions at our schoo'., as well as everyday life in our community. Many unanswered questions still remain . What assurance ie; the mine company giving that there will not be ]each pad leaks? What assurance do we have that our school is safe? What assur~azrce do the children of San L:: have that their life and education would not be disrupted? How would tizc mine handle the flow of flood waters in the ~n9ng areal Is there an emergency evacuation plan? What safeguards is the company plan_-ring in the usage and storage of toxic chemicals (cyanide in particular)? 'Who would clean up any toxic spills? After careful review of these problems and unanswered questions. from my point of view, the safest avenue would be to relocate the leach pads and place them in a safer area outside of the flood plain. This would assure our students snd community that any problems with toxic spills would not affect the school, and could be more easily contained. By increasing the distance between the leach pads and the school the leach pads would not pose such a threat to the safety of Centennial School and the community of SanLuis.