1993-10-27_REVISION - M1977378 ‎(5)‎

• Permit No: M1977378
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 10/27/1993
• Doc Name: Response
• From: DMG
• To: San Juan County Commissioner
• Type & Sequence: TR14
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

999
STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
Of co
Department of Natural Resources / �� _ �p
1313 Sherman St.,Room 215 .
Denver,CO 80203 �� * �e�e "
Phone [phone] —
FAX.[phone]
r Roy Romer
Governor
Michael B.Long
October 27, 1993 Division Director
Mr. Richard Perino, Commissioner
San Juan County - Board of Commissioners
P.O. Box 466
Silverton, CO 81433
Re: American and Terry Tunnel Bulkheads, Sunnyside Gold
Corporation, Sunnyside Mine, File No. M-77-378
Dear Mr. Perino:
The Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (Division) is in
possession of your letter dated September 27, 1993 regarding the
technical revision that details placement of concrete bulkheads in
the Sunnyside Mine. On October 27, 1993, the Division scheduled
this matter for a hearing before the Colorado Mined Land
Reclamation Board (Board) and issued a recommendation to approve
the revision (see attached documents) . The Division would like
offer the San Juan County Board of Commissioners the opportunity to
participate in the hearing. If you, or your representative, cannot
attend the hearing, I will make certain that the concerns addressed
in your letter are heard by the Board.
As to your specific concerns, the concept of flooding the Sunnyside
workings has been a part of the approved reclamation plan for the
mine since 1987. This technical revision was submitted by
Sunnyside Gold to provide technical details for the hydraulic
seals, or bulkheads. The plan to flood the underground workings as
part of reclamation was originated by Sunnyside Gold, and is not a
specific requirement of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act or
the Board. The main goal of the hydraulic seals is to relieve the
company of the difficulty and expense of treating the mine
discharge as required under Federal Clean Water Laws, and to allow
the company to move forward with reclamation of the site.
The Division and the Board share your concern with the loss of
potentially valuable mining properties under this sort of
reclamation scheme, however, requiring mining companies to treat
water at inactive mine sites in perpetuity would, in the long term,
be more damaging to the mining industry than allowing companies to
complete final reclamation, and be released from their obligations
at specific sites.