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- . <br />STATE III IIIIIIIIIIIII III <br />OF COLUI~UO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Deparlmem of Natural Resources <br />1 313 Sherman 51., Roam 215 <br />DIVISION O F <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 856-3567 MINERAL S <br />FAX:(303183?-8106 & <br />November 22, 1999 G E O L O G Y <br /> RECLAMATION <br /> MININ G•SAF ETY <br />Mr. Jerry H. Koblitz <br />Greystone Environmental Consultants <br />Inc co <br />°~o;~ <br />, <br />. y <br />5231 South Quebec Street Greg E. bVal<her <br />Greenwood V illage, CO 80111 E~ecmivc Director <br /> Michael8 Long <br /> Division Dvettor <br />Re: Kaiser Ventures, Inc., Permit No. C-81-023 <br />1997 Annual Hydrologic Monitoring Report <br />Deaz Mr. Koblitz: <br />The Division has completed its review of the above-referenced report. The report was well- <br />prepared and thorough. The Division has the following comments. <br />1. Fulfillment of reporting requirements. As shown in the attached checklist, the report <br />fulfills for 1997 Chimney Rock's annual hydrology reporting requirements. <br />Projections in PHC <br />The Division anticipates receiving a Phase III bond release request from the permittee within the <br />next few years. Prior to approving a bond release, Section 3.03.2(1) of the Regulations requires <br />the Division to evaluate Chimney Rock Mine's future probability of polluting surface or <br />subsurface water. The following comments are made in preparation for that evaluation, and to <br />verify the validity of projections in the probable hydrologic consequences (PHC) section of the <br />permit. If your responses to the following comments warrant revising the PHC, then please <br />submit a technical revision for that purpose. <br />2. PHC, duration of elevated TDS (total dissolved solids) in spoil spring discharges. <br />The PHC recognizes that TDS in spoil aquifer water will be elevated but it does not <br />discuss for how long TDS will be elevated. Please provide a projection of the duration of <br />elevated TDS. <br />A long duration has been projected for other mines in Colorado. For example, the USGS <br />projected a time period of "hundreds to thousands of years" for elevated TDS levels in <br />Williams Fork formation spoil aquifer water at the Seneca II Mine in Routt County <br />(Williams and Clark, 1994, "Hydrology and Geochemistry of a Surface Mine in <br />Northwestern Colorado", USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 92-4187, 1994, <br />page 60). Williams and Clark's projection may be applicable to the Chirnney Rock Mine <br />as explained in the following two paragraphs. <br />