2008-05-09_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - M1981021

• Permit No: M1981021
• IBM Index Class Name: GENERAL DOCUMENTS
• Doc Date: 5/9/2008
• Doc Name: Division Response to Operator's Memo
• From: DRMS
• To: Denison Mines
• Permit Index Doc Type: Gen. Correspondence
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
May 9, 2008
Ms. Christy Woodward
.Denison Mines (USA) Corp.
~ 1050 Seventeenth Street, Suite 950
Denver, CO 80265
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D I V I S I O H O F
RECLAMATION
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Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director
Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
Re: Division Response to Operator's Memo (Draft dated March 31, 2008) Concerning a Proposed Program
for Designated Mining Operation (DMO) Environmental Analysis, at the Sunday Mine Complex and Van 4
Mine. Pertaining to:
Sunday Mine, Permit M-1977-285; Carnation Mine, Permit M-1977-41.6;
St. Jude Mine, Permit M-1978-039 HR; Topaz Mine, Permit M-1980-055 HR;
~ West Sunday Mine, Permit M-1981-021; and Van 4 Mine, Permit M-1997-032.
Dear Ms. Woodward,
This office has reviewed the above-named Memo, which was submitted as a response to the Notices of
Determination of DMO that the Division delivered to Denison Mines, for the six permitted uranium mines
captioned above. The Memo discusses benison's proposed plan for commencing the testing and background
analyses at the sites for eventual classification of each mine as a DMO or non-DMO. I wish to point out one
small item that appears erroneously throughout benison's Memo, but which should be corrected: the permit
number of the Van 4 Mine is actually M-1997-032.
The proposed sampling at the three 110(2) permits, for which three representative samples of waste rock from
each site will be taken, as well as one composite ore sample, is acceptable. Likewise, this same proposed
sampling regime at the three 112 permits is acceptable.
Regarding the water quality and geochemical testing, the Division's staff geochemist reviewed the Memo, and
found the overall regime acceptable, but made the following recommendations:
1) For the early rounds of groundwater sampling (i.e., quarterly for approximately the first year), the list of
proposed water quality analytes on page 4 should be expanded to include all parameters listed on Table
. 1 through 4 in CDPHE Regulation 41 -Basic Standards for Ground Water. Parameters that repeatedly
show concentrations below detection limits may be dropped from the program in future, but not in the
early stages. Denison and the Division should discuss the issue of dropping parameters before doing so.
The following parameters may be omitted altogether: Total Coliforms, Asbestos, Free Cyanide,
Chlorophenol, Color, Corrosivity, Foaming Agents, Odor, and Phenol. The link for Regulation 41 is:
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/re~;ulations/wgccregs/100241 basicstandardsforg_roundwater.pdf.
2) The analytes for surface water samples should be equally comprehensive, to include all parameters on
Tables I through III in CDPHE Regulation 31 -Basic Standards and Methodologies for Surface Water.
As stated above, parameters may be dropped from later sampling if they continue to return below
Office of Office of
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