2007-03-02_REVISION - M1994005 (2)

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~~-4q 1~- ©©S . ~M-ov ~o DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING, AND SAFETY ~co RECEIVED ~AR 0 21007 Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO OPPOSE STRONGLY TO ANY ADDITIONAL PERMITS TO BE GIVEN TO UNTIED COMPANIES FOR THEIR GRAVEL PIT LOCATED ON HIGHWAY 550 SOUTH OF MONTROSE. THE PERMIT FOR THIS SITE ISM-1994- 005. MY NAME IS TIM KENNEY AND I OWN THE PROPERTY ADJOINING THIS GRAVEL PIT. ANY ADDITIONS TO THE CURRENT PERMIT WOULD ADVERSLY AFFECT NOT ONLY MY PROPERTY, BUT MY QUALITY OF LIFE AS WELL. FIRST OF ALL, THE GRAVEL PIT HAS REPEATEDLY VIOLATED CONDITIONS OF THEIIt EXISTING PERMIT BY OPERATING WELL BEYOND THE TIME FRAMES ALLOCATED. AS EXAMPLES TO THIS I COULD HEAR EQUIPMENT OPERATING AND SMELL DIESEL-FUME5 AT 9PM ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2007 AND AS I WRITE THIS ON FEBRUARY 27 AT 7:26PM I CAN HEAR EQUIPMENT RUNNING AS WELL. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN THEY HAVE STARTED THEIR OPERATIONS BEFORE THEIIt LEGAL START TIIvIES AND RUN PAST THEIR ALLOCATED STOP TIlvIES. SECOND, THE DUST FROM THE WORK HAS COATED THE HOUSES, CARS, AND PROPERTIES SURROUNDING THE GRAVEL PIT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO DEPOSIT ANY MATERIAL ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. UNITED HAS DONE NOTHING TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM. FINALLY, IF THE GRAVEL PIT IN QUESTION WERE TO BE MINED DEEPER, THE NEW WORK WOULD GO BELOW THE WATER TABLE. THE UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER, NUMEROUS LAKES; AND WINTER ELK AND DEER RIPARIAN WINTER HABITAT IS ADJOTNING THE GRAVEL PIT TO THE EAST. THE ALTERATION TO THE GROUND WATER AND SUBSEQUENT CHANGING OF THIS FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM COULD BE DISASTEROUS! UNITED COMPANIES HAVE CONTACTED ME ABOUT MONITORING THIS BUT THEY HAD NO IDEA HOW TO DO IT AND ASKED ME IF I KNEW ANY COMPANY THAT DID. THIS LEAVES ME WITH VERY LITTLE CONFIDENCE THAT UNITED COMPANIES WILL PROTECT THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES FROM HARM. THE CURRENT PERMIT ALLOWS THE GRAVEL PIT TO DIG TO THE DEPTH OF THE VALLEY DIRECTLY TO THE EAST THAT IS ON THE RIVER (MY PROPERTY!) ANY DEEPER COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE WATER TABLE TO ALTER ITS COURSE AND RUIN THE RIPARIAN ZONE DIItECTLY NEXT TO IT. SERIOUS STUDIES SHOULD BE DONE PRIOR TO ANY CONSIDERATION FOR EXTENDED OR ALTERED PERMITS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS APPLICATION THOROUGHLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO SCHEDULE A TIME TO REVIEW THE POTENTIAL HA,~ARDS TO THE RIVER BOTTOM AT MY PROPERTY, PLEASE CALL ME. ~~ sS V imp ~- p Ma..~~R-ems- ~ ~..o -, s I N v 1 G97D~ z~q--113`7