Laserfiche WebLink
WESTERN MINING ACTION PROJECT <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 />wmapna,igc.org <br />August 15, 2011 <br />Via email and hardcopy <br />G. Russell Means <br />Environmental Protection Specialist <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety <br />Grand Junction Field Office <br />101 South 3rd, Suite 301 <br />Grand Junction, CO 81501 <br />Re: Prince Albert Mine, Permit No. M- 2011 -040 <br />Dear Mr. Means: <br />Please accept these comments submitted on behalf of Sheep Mountain Alliance and Center for <br />Biological Diversity regarding the Limited Impact 110(d) Permit Application for the proposed Prince <br />Albert Mine, Permit No. M- 2011 -040, owned by Rimrock Exploration and Development, Inc. and <br />situated in Montrose County, Colorado. <br />As detailed herein, the permit application is incomplete in several respects, and requires <br />additional information in order to demonstrate compliance with the Mined Land Reclamation Act. <br />First, the application fails to properly acknowledge the permitting roles of the U.S. Bureau of Land <br />Management, which manages the lands upon which the mine is proposed, or the U.S. Environmental <br />Protection Agency, which regulates radon emissions under the Clean Air Act (40 CFR Part 61). <br />Further, the mine plan references connecting to an inactive mine ( "Better Be Mine "), but no detail on <br />this connection, any expanded permit acreage, or other issues are addressed. Lastly, several <br />components of the mine have not been described in sufficient detail to demonstrate compliance with <br />the environmental protection requirements of the MLRA. <br />Failure to Acknowledge the Role of BLM <br />Despite identifying the BLM as the owner of the public lands upon which the mine is proposed, <br />the applicant failed to affirm that it has indeed submitted any application to the BLM for the proposed <br />mining activity. In fact, the list of permits needed (Application Exhibit F) fails to identify the fact that <br />a BLM permit is needed. Despite this requirement, no such application appears to have yet been <br />submitted to BLM. The applicant should revise the application to specify the timing of its BLM mine <br />plan application. <br />1 <br />RECEIVED <br />AUG 1 5 2011 <br />GRAND JUNG ioN MELD OFFICE <br />DIVISION OF <br />RECLAMATION MINING & SAFETY <br />ENS tPi1 <br />RECEIVW <br />AUG 18 2011 <br />Division of Reclamation, <br />Miming and Safety <br />