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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1373 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 <br />FAX: (303) 832-8706 <br />July 31, 2003 <br />Mr. Don Reimer <br />County Engineer & Planning Director <br />Chaffee County Planning & Zoning Dept. <br />P.O. Box 699 <br />Salida, CO 81201 <br />RE: Inquiry for Kerr & Son -Jesse Lee Pit, Permit No. M-84-043 <br />Class: General Documents <br />Dear Mr. Reimer: <br />The Division of Minerals & Geology (DMG) has reviewed the permit file for the Jesse <br />Lee Pit, Permit No. M-84-043 in response to your June 3Q 2003 inquiry. We will <br />attempt to respond to your questions in the order in which they were given. <br />COLORADO <br />b [VISION O F <br />MIN SRALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />RECLAMATION•MINING <br />SAPETY•SCIENCE <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br />Greg E. Walther <br />Executive Director <br />Ronald W. Cattany <br />Division DireROr <br />Natural Resource Trustee <br />1. The State database indicates the commodity being mined is Au, or gold, and the pit <br />operator is attempting to sell sand and gravel out of the pit. DMG Response -The <br />original application for a limited impact permit submitted to the Division on February 24, <br />1984 was for the Jesse Lee Piacer Mine and specified gold placer mining with recovery <br />and stockpiling of aggregates. The Division database will need to be revised to include <br />aggregate as a secondary product to be produced at the Jesse Lee Mine. Please note that <br />specific provisions for the production of construction materials did not exist until October <br />1995 when the Mineral Rules & Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation <br />Board for the Extraction of Construction Materials were promulgated. It is the Division's <br />position that sand and gravel is a permitted commodity from the Jesse Lee Mine and that <br />no permit modification is necessary . <br />2. We request information regarding surface and groundwater protections and the <br />potential for contamination or additional sediment load to the river. DMG Response - <br />The mining and reclamation plan specifies the following measures: reclaim to fish ponds, <br />install a 100' berm near the west bank of the Arkansas River, all springs and seeps will be <br />diverted directly into the mining excavation area, water in the pit will be pumped to the <br />screening-washing operation and then discharged to settling ponds with no direct <br />discharge into the Arkansas River. Previous DMG inspections on 2/3/95 and 7/15/98 <br />noted exposed surface and/or water and the inspection reports were referred to the Office <br />of the State Engineer (OSE) for further review. Attached are copies of the inspection <br />reports and follow-up correspondence from the OSE for your review. A review of SEO <br />Office of Office of Colorado <br />Mined Land Reclamation Active and InaRive Mines Geolog~ca\ Susvey <br />