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iiiu iii <br />ii <br />ii <br />-~ iii iii <br />i <br /> <br />~ RECEIVED <br />JUN 1 0 1991 <br />Mined Land <br />Reclamation Division <br />Chairman and Members <br />Mined Land Reclamation Board <br />Dept. of Natural Resources <br />Denver, CO 81301 <br />C~ <br />Lana Jo Chap'Ln <br />11165 C.R. 2~i0 <br />Durango, CO 81301 <br />6/~' /91 <br />Y7 - / S ~// <br />Animas Aggregates will come before the MLRB for a hearing <br />of violation in June. The Board should be aware of Animas <br />Aggregates' long history of operating in a constant sta~:e <br />of violation. A quick review of the permit file will prove <br />this fact. Considering this blatant disregard for the regu- <br />lations that are to be followed by gravel extraction opE;rat- <br />ions, I hope you will consider the maximum fines and penalties. <br />During the months since Animas Aggregates was surveyed :°or <br />the most recent violation they have a ain been observed per- <br />petrating another violation. On April 19, 1991 Concretf~ <br />"batch" trucks were photograghed dumping wet concrete d:~rect- <br />ly into the Animas River upstream from the mine site. Trucks <br />were also hosed down at this same location with wash waiver <br />running over the wet concrete and into the river. This '.s <br />visible in the enclosed photdgraphs. <br />For years residents have filed complaints of probable v'.o- <br />lations of Water Quality, Fish and Wildlife, County and MLRB <br />regulations against Animas Aggregates. These include: <br />*tracked vehicles in the streambed <br />*hours of operation <br />*Failure to remove diversion dam/dike upstream of operation <br />prior to spring flows resulting in radical streambank <br />undercutting and seriously increased erosion, off-site' damage <br />*Overall destabili8ation of riverway through deepening Arid <br />straightening the streambed, volume of extraction com~~ared <br />to renewal, rendering any private restoration efforts <br />useless andeliminating water flows into high-priortiy <br />irrigation ditches; massive off-site damage <br />*Opening of "silt pond" into the river without having a ~E02 <br />permit for discharge into state waters <br />*Mining activity outside of approved mine site <br />*Failure to adhere to approved mining plan/contributing ~o off-site <br />damage <br />Having conducted an on-site inspection and survey, John Doerfer <br />in emminently qualified to verify and comment on the mas:;ive <br />damage being perpetuated by the irresponsible mining pr~rctices <br />of Animas Aggregates. <br />Once again, I hope you will consider the maximum penalties and <br />fines, including an order to "cease and desist" for Animas <br />Aggregates' current violation. <br />enclosures <br />copies: B.Humphries <br />~L~n c~lJZt~ `~~~~, Ll~05 /~~/C~'~sf/ <br />/zL <br />S~ .1 <br />lnGua S~{ ~ ~~ ~ ~G~ 6~.0 ~y~~ <br />~ ~ ~ ~-~-` <br />o~-n ~ Q~u rnti~~ ~-Q~+ rrt~o QAgn4'~/ o . 7,~~~/v~ <br />'Jigilantly, <br /> <br />