PERMFILE137584

• Permit No: M1997054
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 3/4/1998
• Doc Name: RESPONSE TO CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THE PARKDALE PROJECT
• From: CDOH
• To: JERRY WORTHLEY
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

• • III IIIIIIIIIIIII III
999
STATE OF COLORADO
Roy Romer, Governor
Parti Shwayder, Fxauwe Director
Qedicated to protecting and improving the health and environment o(the peopk olColondo
4300 C7ierry Creek Dr. 5. Laboratory and Radiation Services Division
Denier, Colorado 802461530 8100 Lowry Blvd.
Phone [phone] Denver CO 80220-6928
Located in Glendale, Colorado 1303) 692-3090
http:/hvsvw,cdphestate.m.us
March 4, 1998
Mr. Jerry Worthley
547 Yale Place Apt. 202
Canon City, Colorado 81212
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RE: Response to concerns about the impacts of the Parkdale Project
Dear Mr. Worthley:
Your letter of February 18, 1998 requesting that an Environmental impact
Statement (EIS) be undertaken to evaluate the impacts of the gravel mine and
processing operation proposed by the Agile Stone Systems in Parkdale, Colorado
has been referred to me for response. i also noted your concerns about the
potential impacts to your well, and the request for the Water Quality Control
Division (WQCD) to intervene with the Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) on
the issuance of the mined land reclamation permit.
In preparing the response to your letter i tried to ascertain the actual
water quality impacts of the proposed gravel mining operation on both surface and
ground water in the area. I learned that the WQCD has issued a discharge permit
to cover the proposed discharge to Tallahassee Creek. The permit specifies the
pollutant loading to the creek from the mining operation and typically includes
limits for total suspended solids (TSS), pH, and oil and grease. Under the
permit, Agile Stone Systems will be required to monitor the discharge and file
periodic reports with the WQCD. Enforcement action can be taken if they fail to
submit the discharge monitoring reports on schedule. Issuance of the permit helps
ensure that the discharge will not have an adverse impact on the stream.
I was also concerned about the impacts to ground water, and learned from
the DMG that the mining operation will not breach the ground water. The
turbidity that you refer to in your letter ie moat likely the result of the land
disturbance that accompanies a gravel mining operation. This is normally very
minimal ae the silts and colloidal material are bound up in the soil and don't
enter the well. The overall impacts from turbidity will depend on the distance
of your well from the mining operation, needless to say, the further away the
better. Ae a precautionary measure, you may want to test your well for sediment
and retain this record ae a reference. If the level rises once the mining
operation begins, you will have a baseline measure from which to seek recourse.
I consulted with the U.S. EPA on the criteria for requesting an EIS and was
told that they are undertaken when a federal facility, federal funds or a
federally regulated activity is involved. For this project, the request for an
EIS should be directed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) who will
evaluate and act on the application for a dredge and fill permit needed for the
abutments that will support the two bridges proposed at the gravel mining site.
Our records indicate that the permit application for the dredge and fill permit
has not yet been filed. If you are interested in pursuing this avenue, I suggest
that you contact Anita Culp at the COE office in Pueblo. That address and phone
number are: