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III IIIIIIIIIIIII III - _ _ 999 .January 2, 1989 ~~~~~~~~ JAN G 1989 MINED LAND ` C1ined land Reclamation Board REC1-AMATION DIVISION Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street, Rm. 423 Denver, CO 80233-2273 ~zarSirs: _. .. ... _.... .._. _. I would like to file an official protest concerning the mining - - - _ __ -_-- application of Battle Mountain Gold Mining Company. Battle Mot_.ntain has - - - proposed to strip mine the Rito Seco Creek area in Costilla County. As a avid hunter and fisherman, l am greatly concerned about the effect of the strip mine and the leach pads on the ecology of the Rito Seco area. After reviewing the impact statement from Battle Mountain which was located in the Costilla County administrative building, t am lef_ with many questions about the protection of the wildlife habitat of '.he Rito Seco area. The following are some major concerns which still exist after reviewing the Battle Mountain plan: The first concern involves the disruption of wildlife habitat caused by the increased vehicle traffic and noise pollution. The company has gone to extensive research to identify the wildlife species in the Rito Seco area, including numerous mammals and bird species. It is my concern that the drastic tncrease in traffic and the resulting noise pollutlon will disrupt the feeding and reproductive cycles of the wild life in the area. 1 would like to know what steps the company will take to assure me and others that Rlto Seco wildlife will be protected from this intrusion o~ their i natural habitat. How will this increase in noise level affect the wildlife? What steps will the Battle Mountain take to protect this ecosystem frvm the noise and traffic? Will the increase in air poiution caused by the diesel generators and engines of the dump trucks adversly affect the wlldllfe? Will cold weather inversion patterns cause the particulates to remain in the area, causing problems? My second concern involves the construction and moving of existing roads in the Rtto Seco area. The roads proposed will be dirt surfaced, releasing an unacceptable amount of dust particles into the ai~. The temperatures in our mountain community are usually very coo throughtout the year, causing dust and smoke particulates to remain close to their source. The amount of truck traffic from the mining activities will raise -:: -