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DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GtQLQGY ~ <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman $t., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 <br />FAX: (303)832-8106 <br />May 16, 2002 <br />Rick Johnson <br />United Companies, Inc. <br />2273 River Road <br />P.O. Box 3609 <br />Grand Junction, Colorado 81501 <br />DIVISION OF <br />MINERALS <br />~(yr~ ~tV~® ~q t~ yy~/-vo <br />YG•~V~~7 ®~~AV~ <br />' GEOLOGY <br />MININGMSATF EOTY <br />~ <br />d1~lIC FILE COPV <br />1<I~~-/yes-a,~_,/ GolveOwoens <br />~~ ~M~ ~ / reg E. Walther <br />at±t~t~: ~/,~+L <br />~t~=A..+ _~.~~A~xecutive Director <br />/'1 <br />7DN <br />6 <br />- <br />G, ~ <br />~MQe`!;~/ <br />^K~ <br />'/ Michael B. Long <br />Division Director <br />Re: MMM /Chambers Pit, Permit No. M-1979-205, Response to Water Augmentation Problem. <br />Dear Rick: <br />Thank you for your timely response to the water augmentation issues raised during the latest DMG <br />inspection on 3/15/02. As we discussed, this issue is complex to begin with and the number of <br />Succession of Operators and age of the pits further "muddies the waters", so to speak. <br />This Office is in agreement with United's assessment that the best that can be done concerning the <br />MMM Lake surface area is an estimate based on aerial photos in 1980. It would be in United's best <br />interest to calculate the extra disturbance from May of 1980 to December of 1980 in its estimate. This <br />estimate can then be used as a base line of agreement between this Office and United that hopefully will <br />help resolve the issues for compliance with SB 120 regulations. <br />The biggest outstanding issue as this Office sees it is the augmentation of the Chambers Ponds 1,2,3,4 <br />and Phases II and II. As noted by United, 2 of the 4 Chambers Ponds are covered under a previous <br />Water Court augmentation plan. <br />Based on the fact that United currently has an application before the Water Court concerning Phase II <br />and Phase III, This Office will continue the date required to correct the issue. This is done for several <br />reasons. First, United has applied for the proper augmentation with the Water Court. Secondly, the <br />augmentation decision that is being waited upon, could result in some water credits that could abate the <br />issues for the remainder of the Chambers Ponds. Finally, United's efforts to cleaz this matter up, even <br />though much of it was prior to their succession is noted and appreciated by this Office. The problems <br />noted on the inspection report of 3/15/02 will stay in an unresolved category until such time as the Water <br />Court renders its decision. United has the responsibility of notifying this Office immediately upon <br />receiving the Water Court decision so that this issue may finally be abated. <br />~~~~~~~~ <br />9/- .~, <br />~/j_~ <br />I III °,v <br />Omo~o® <br />b <br />