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Mr. Wallace Erickson <br />Environmental Protection Specialist <br />Colorado Department of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />1313 Sherman St., Rm 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />June 23, 2013 <br />Dear Mr. Erickson, <br />This letter is written in regaTgds to the Special Use permit under consideration <br />for the Uncompahgre Pit (42013007). As you are aware, the Special Use <br />Application located just south of Montrose is both complicated and <br />convoluted. <br />Specifically, this Heavy Industrial Strip Mining Proposal is bad for our <br />community for the following reasons: <br />Incompatibility witli current and historical x °rrral agricultural tend residential <br />land usage and zoning: According to the Montrose County Zoning <br />Resolution, in the issuing of special use permits, the Montrose County <br />Zoning Resolution (MCZR) lists "prohibited uses" for special use permits, <br />which include aggregate processing, asphalt and concrete plants, and fuel <br />storage tanks. The proposed strip mine site is currently zoned agricultural. <br />The MCZR states that Agriculture is considered to be a highly valued <br />resource in Montrose County. Numerous farms, ranches, small businesses <br />and residents exist in close proximity to the site. All these people have <br />chosen to live /work in this area because of its agricultural history and <br />current status as a rural community. Under criteria to be considered for <br />Special Use Permitting, one criteria states that the " use promotes the best <br />interest of the general public's health, safety and welfare as set by either <br />federal, state or county regulation." <br />Creation of long term lrealtli hazards: This strip mine will produce <br />crystalline silica dust from pit and quarry activities that will blow off site, <br />onto Montrose area residents' ranches and homes, crops and livestock, and <br />numerous public and private facilities Silica dust is a known carcinogenic <br />and can kill you. The mitigation measures offered by RMA are inadequate. <br />How far can the crystalline silica dust particles travel? Studies have <br />demonstrated that "larger particles can stay in the air for minutes or hours" <br />RECEIVED <br />':�IIN 2 6 2013 <br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION <br />MINING AND SAFETY <br />