_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 ‎(311)‎

• Permit No: C1981017
• IBM Index Class Name: GENERAL DOCUMENTS
• Doc Name: Bid Documents ‎(IMP)‎
• Permit Index Doc Type: General Correspondence
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Pitkin County
RECEIVE
May 6, 1991
Mr. Fred Banta, Director MAY 1 3 1991
Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division Mined Lana
Department of Natural Resources Reclamation Division
1313 Sherman Street, Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
re: Mid-Continent
Dear Fred,
I am writing to ask that you let me know the current status
of the Mid-Continent Permit and to follow up on some of the
issues that were raised at the multi-agency meeting on Mid-
Continent of March 8, 1991. I also want to reiterate Pitkin
County's concerns regarding the potential impact of the upcoming
spring runoff on Coal Creek and the Crystal River in light of
Mid-Continent's closure.
After we met in March we sent you a letter (March 14, 1991)
summarizing the status of Mid-Continent' s County Special Use
Permit and our concerns regarding the future of the mine. We
have heard nothing since then indicating what the State's
strategy is going to be to assure that the environmental controls
in Coal Basin are maintained and that the site will be reclaimed
in a timely and effective manner should the mines not reopen.
With the passage of time, it seems more and more likely that Mid-
Continent's closure is permanent and that final reclamation
issues will need to be addressed in the near future.
In the meantime, the approach of spring runoff has raised
the specter of a failure in Mid-Continent' s drainage and settling
pond system during a time when virtually no resources are
available to respond to such an event. The recent history of
dramatic precipitation events, slope failures, mudslides,
avalanche and flood in Coal Basin, coupled with the fragility of
Mid-Continent's pond system, frankly causes us great concern,
even under the best of circumstances. Presently there is no
motivation for Mid-Continent to be doing anything more than the
absolute minimum necessary to maintain their permit and there is
very little manpower or equipment at the mine site to cope with a
catastrophic event, should one occur. We would like to know
what the MLRD is doing to assure that Mid-Continent's
environmental control systems will stay intact and operational
during this period of elevated risk.
We would also appreciate an update on some other issues that
were raised at the March 8 meeting. The MLRD noted at that time
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