REP36480

• Permit No: C1981012
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 5/25/2005
• Doc Name: 2003/2004 Annual Hydrology Report Review Letter
• From: DMG
• To: Peak Project Management
• Annual Report Year: 2003
• Permit Index Doc Type: Hydrology Report
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
May 25, 2005
Ron Thompson
Peak Project Management
3800 Co. Road 63.9
Trinidad CO 81082
RE: 2003(2004 Annual Hydrology Report Review, New Elk Mine, #C-81-012
Deaz Mc Thompson:
COLORADO
DIVISION O F
MINERALS
GEOLOGY
0.E CLANATION•NINING
SAEETY•$QENCE
Bill Owens
Govertwr
Russell George
Executive Director
Ronald W. Carany
Division Director
Natural Resource Trustee
The Division of Minerals and Geology has completed review of the 2003 and 2004 Annual Hydrology
Reports for the New Ells Mine, #C-81-012. Please respond to any issues as necessary within 60 days of
receipt of this letter. Some general comments follow below.
On page 15 of the report, the text states that before water is discharged from pond 7, "it will be
tested for settleable solids..." In fact, manual discharges must meet the effluent limit for
suspended solids prior to discharge. Please modify the text in future reports.
2. On page 16, the report states "above the two mine sites...". This language is likely leftover from
when the New Elk and Golden Eagle mines were owned and controlled by the same permittee.
Please correct as necessary in future reports.
3. The surface elevation on the graph for NEW-4 water levels differs from the surface elevation listed
in table. 1.2-3. Please include elevations of the measuring point, if different than the surface
elevation, for each well in future reports.
Monitoring frequency was met during 2003 and 2004 under the approved plan following the May 2002
Notice of Violation CV-2002-010 for the 2001 water monitoring excursions noted following review of the
2001 AHR.
Analysis of Data and Determination of Impacts
Surface Water Quantity and Ouality
Two stations on the Purgatoire River are monitored for flow and field parameters on asemi-annual basis,
and water quality on an annual basis. PRS-1 is located upstream of all New Elk mining activities and
PRS-4 is located downstream of all mining activities, yet upstream of the confluence of the North Fork of
the Purgatoire with the Middle Fork. The measured value of TDS at the downstream site, PRS-4 is 70
mg/I higher than the upstream site, PRS-1 (190 mg/l vs. 120 mg/l respectively) However, it is likely that
this is a lab measurement error since all other parameters aze neazly identical, including the calculated TDS
value. The classifications that apply to this segment are Aquatic Life Cold 1, Recreation 1, Water Supply,
and Agriculture. No exceedance of any physical, biological, inorganic, or metal standard was noted in
Ofrlce of Office of Colorado
Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey