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~ -_ _. <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 <br />FAX: (303) 832-8106 <br />DATE: <br />January 23, 2004 <br />ca~~~~ <br />S <br />COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF <br />MIN SRALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />AECLAMATION•MI NING <br />SAFETY•SCIENCE <br />TO: Sandy Brown and Ji Burnell Bill Owens <br />Governor <br />FROM: Dan Mathews Greg E. Watcher <br />Executive Director <br />RE: 2003 AHR for McClane and Unger Canyon Mines Ronald W. Cottony <br />Permit No. C-80-004 (McClane and C-81-020 (Munger) Division Director <br />Narural Resource Trustee <br />I have conducted a preliminary review of the 2003 AHR for McClane and Munger Canyon <br />Mines. The report is largely consistent with last year's report, with the exception that the <br />text has been amended to incorporate a narrative evaluation of conformance of observed <br />inflow to PHC projections of Permit Appendix N. We had requested inclusion of this <br />narrative evaluation in our review of the 2002 AHR. I need to request PHC review by a <br />staff hydrologist. Jim is the likely suspect since he just reviewed the 2001 and 2002 <br />AHR's. A copy of the AHR should be available in the Denver office. <br />Required quarterly monitoring was conducted and required field and laboratory analytical <br />parameter values were reported. <br />As we discussed in regard to last year's report, no water quality data was reported for the <br />ephemeral streams, McClane Creek and Munger Creek. The reason is that sampling is <br />conducted on a scheduled quarterly basis by a consultant who travels to the mine from <br />Grand Junction. Due to the brief and infrequent nature of flow events in these streams, <br />they are typically dry when the sampler is on site. To address this problem, we made the <br />following request in our January 9, 2004 review letter pertaining to the 2001 and 2002 <br />AHR's: <br />Please ensure that an operator representative who is on-site full time is assigned the <br />responsi6i/ity of co/%cting same/es and f/ow measurements during at /east one <br />summer storm runoff event and from snowmelt runoff at the Munger Creek and <br />McClane Creek sampling sites. <br />I have discussed this concern with both Jim Stover (who does the quarterly sampling) and <br />Walter Whitledge, the mine manager, and they have stated that measures will be taken to <br />ensure that the requested stream data is collected and reported for the 2004 water year <br />and future years. Specifically, an individual at the mine will be assigned to collect flow <br />measurements and water samples for field and lab analysis at Munger Creek SW-3, flow <br />measurements and water samples at McClane Creek SW-2, and water samples only at <br />McClane Creek SW-5. The streams will be sampled as described at least once during a <br />summer rainstorm runoff event and once during a snowmelt event. In the event that <br />operations at the Munger waste disposal area are initiated and Permit C-81-020 is taken out <br />of temporary cessation, water quality samples will also be taken at Munger Creek sites SW- <br />6 and SW-7. <br />I will include another reminder in our 2003 AHR review letter to the operator. <br />Office of Office of Colorado <br />Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey <br />