PERMFILE70040

• Permit No: M1979142
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 9/21/1979
• From: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
• To: DNR
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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~.%,~.~ APO COLOR~DO STATE DEPARTME~ OF HI 999 _
- * DtViSION OF HIGHWAYS
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September 21, 1979
Reply Ref: 01040
Mr. James McArdle
Mined Land Reclamation Division
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 723
Denver, Colorado 80203
Dear Mr. McArdle:
The following comments are provided both in response to your recent inquir-
ies and to facilitate an understanding of the parameters that the Colorado
Department of Highways, Division of Highways, works within,
The Department has established specifications, determined appropriate and
effective by years of experience in the field, for earthwork construction,
These specifications are applied to reclamation aspects both along highway
right-of-ways and to other areas, including materials sources, that may be
disturbed in conjunction with highway construction work. The details of
these specifications are found in the Department's Standard Specifications
for Road and Bridge Construction. Sections of particular importance in pit
reclamation work are: 104,06, 106.02, 107.23, 207.03, 212,02, 212,05, 213.01,
213,02, and 213.03.
In addition, policy by the Department regarding notification to and coopera-
tion with public and private utilities and transportation corridor owners is
also delineated in the above document. Refer to Sections 105.06, 107.08,
and 107.17,
Fencing of materials pits can only be done with the approval of the land-
owner. The Bureau of Land Management does not usually give this approval.
Private ranchers and farmers may want livestock protected from hazards in
an operating pit, but they also are very concerned about locations of any
fences that might subdivide pastures and fields or otherwise restrict ad-
jacent land use. Therefore fencing will normally only be used in situations
where (1) the landowner consents, and/or (2) it becomes a protective
device against significant hazards to human safety, and/or {3) it is deter-
mined that due to uncontrollable factors final reclamation cannot effectively
be accomplished otherwise.
In response to the inquiries on the Shannon pit, ik79-163: (1) Nearly all
of the affected area has been disturbed by prior mining activity. There-
fore it is doubtful that any topsoil or overburden material of a sufficient
quality for reclamation can be stripped in advance of present mining opera-
tions, However an overburden stockpile containing less than 600 cubic yards
-more-
4201 EAST ARKANSAS AVENUE DENVER, CO 80222 [phone]