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WESTERN MINING ACTION PROJECT <br />C E 1 11E <br />JUL ?, 5 21011 <br />DURANGO FIELD OFFICE <br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, <br />MINING AND SA <br />Roger Flynn, Esq., <br />Jeffrey C. Parsons, Esq. <br />P.O. Box 349 <br />440 Main Street, Suite 2 <br />Lyons, CO 80540 <br />(303) 823-5738 <br />Fax (303) 823 -5732 <br />wmap @igc.org <br />July 25, 2011 <br />RECENSD <br />AUG 0 :: 2011 <br />Division ol r<eclamation, <br />Mining and Safety <br />Bob Oswald <br />Environmental Protection Specialist <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety <br />Durango Field Office <br />691 CR 233 <br />Room A -2 <br />Durango, CO 81301 <br />Re: Notice of Intent (NOI) P- 2011 -021; Colorado Plateau Partners LLC <br />Dear Mr. Oswald: <br />Please accept these comments submitted on behalf of Sheep Mountain Alliance regarding NOI <br />P- 2011 -021, through which Colorado Plateau Partners, LLC seeks DRMS authorization to conduct an <br />exploration program on a federal Department of Energy uranium lease (Lease Tract C- SR -12) in San <br />Miguel County, Colorado. The project contemplates 30 drill holes with an accompanying drilling mud <br />pits. The NOI Form states that the 30 -hole exploration program is currently scheduled to begin as <br />early as August 1, 2011. <br />As detailed herein, this project is not feasible at this time as the U.S. Department of Energy <br />(DOE) Office of Legacy Management has suspended all exploration on DOE leases pending <br />completion of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement. Given this inability for any <br />exploration to move forward, DRMS should suspend review of any NOI on DOE lease parcels. <br />Regardless, the application lacks necessary detail regarding management and disposal of radioactive <br />materials and reclamation standards and baseline information necessary for protecting the hydrologic <br />balance and water quantity and quality. The lack of relevant data and information in the application <br />mandates that pre - drilling surveys should be implemented pending DOE lifting its suspension of lease <br />activity. <br />DOE has suspended new disturbance on all leases, including C -SR -12 <br />On June 30, 2011, DOE Office of Legacy Management issued a letter to all DOE lessees <br />explaining that: <br />On June 15, 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) <br />announced its notice of intent (NOI) to prepare a programmatic environmental impact <br />1 <br />