HomeMy WebLinkAbout20221097.tiffApril 11, 2022
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING SERVICES
1555 North 17TH Avenue, Greeley, CO 80631
Telephone: 970.400.3549
Electronic Mail: kogle(weldgov.com
David and Kathlene Woolverton
20476 County Road 29
Platteville, CO 80651
Subject: DRMS Case No. M2022-001, Section 20 Gravel Mine
Owner: CAW Equities, LLC and Red Tierra Equities, LLC c/o Robert Lembke, Member
Dear David and Kathlene Woolverton,
The Department of Planning Services is in receipt of your letter of inquiry regarding a proposed
aggregate mine that is located generally south of County Road 44 and east of State Highway 60
near the Town of Gilcrest. Weld County currently does not have land use application in house and
this office has heard that owner may be proceeding with the Town of Gilcrest for permitting, as yet
this action has not occurred.
Internally, this office has completed a review of the State Permit and have the following information
to share:
The entire permit as proposed and is in review with the State and the permit may be viewed at
https://dnrweblink.state.co.us/drms/search.aspx by searching M2022001 in the "Permit No" field. A
user guide is available to help first time users of the imaged document system and can be viewed at
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1180Udf Mpjo3kxlHkP5hMH-w7MeStxX7/view.
In summary, the mine is proposed to be a dry mine, which is completed by the installation of slurry
walls around each proposed mining area which in effect creates bathtubs. The mine areas are
dewatered utilizing pumps and then mined. The seven mined areas will be lined post mining and
reclaimed as water storage reservoirs.
Mining will occur over several years with the extraction of upwards of approximately 2,000,000 tons
of aggregate in a typical year, and as high as up to 3,000,000 tons at peak capacity. Production rate
will vary based on market demands.
The mine appears to be a dig, process and haul, there was no mention of a ready -mixed or hot -mix
plant to be located on site.
In response to your questions specifically,
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What days and hours will your crews be operating?
If this were a permit obtained through a Weld County land use permit, mining operations are
typically Monday through Saturday and during daylight hours only.
Where will all these trucks and other vehicles be entering/exiting the site from?
Vehicles appear to be entering and exiting onto State Highway 60. The number of trucks that
enter and leave the mine site based on the proposed tonnage per year would be approximately
70,000 upwards to 105,000 vehicle trips per year. This calculation is an estimate based on a 21
CY side dump trailer.
If this were a permit obtained through a Weld County land use permit, a Traffic Impact Study
would be required.
Who will be in charge of maintaining the dirt road which will be ruined by all the traffic?
If the haul route for the mining operation utilizes a County maintained road, then Weld County
would require a Road Maintenance Agreement for the life of mining and reclamation operations.
How will Dust Mitigation be taken care of? (This is a huge concern as our close
neighbor is a farmer, and their crops will be negatively affected by the amount of
blowing sand and dirt)
The DRMS 112c application materials state, an estimated 4.0 acre-feet of water per year will be
used for dust control based (approximately) on 5,900 gallons per day for 5 days a week for 10
months.
The DRMS 112c application materials state, mine areas will drain internally. Uncontrolled releases
of surface water in disturbed areas will not occur. Stormwater collected in the active mine area will
be managed through the dewatering system. For all lined cells, a properly constructed slurry wall will
tend to isolate these cells from the surrounding alluvial groundwater table. The liner around these
cells could cause "mounding" of groundwater (increase in groundwater elevation) on the upgradient
side (southeast) of the lined cells and a potential "shadow effect" (reduction in groundwater level) on
the downgradient side (northwest) of the mine. Because the liner will tend to isolate these cells from
the surrounding groundwater table, the effects of dewatering when mining lined cells will tend to not
extend beyond the liner.
Any mounding effect on the upgradient side of the site (south and southwest) is anticipated to be
on the order of a few feet or less and will dissipate with distance from the mine. Similarly,
shadowing effects will be on the order of a few feet and will dissipate with distance from the mine.
The shadowing effects will be minimized by the presence of the South Platte River to the
northwest and the Western Mutual Ditch.
All water retained in the recovered material will be replaced pursuant to the Substitute Water
Supply Plan (SWSP). The total annual amount of water retained in the gravel product from mining
activities totals approximately 27.2 acre-feet. The SWSP is renewed annually and will reflect
analysis of production and depletion anticipated in each year of operation.
Are we going to lose our priceless view of the mountains?
Planning Services is not able to respond to this question as the operational site layout is not
defined. If this were a permit obtained through a Weld County land use permit, the operational
layout would be a part of the application materials.
How is the noise pollution going to be handled?
If this were a permit obtained through a Weld County land use permit, the County would require
Noise Attenuation Study to be performed for the mine face, the processing area, et cetera.
Most importantly, how does this Mining Reclamation Site benefit us and all of the
neighboring properties?
The DRMS 112c application materials state reclamation of the site will result in water storage
reservoirs.
Weld County Planning Services currently does not have an application submitted by representatives
for CAW Equities, LLC and Red Tierra Equities, LLC do Robert Lembke, Member.
Please contact t the office if this response generates additional questions. Thank you for your
inquiry.
Sincerely,
Kim Ogle
Planning Services
File: M2022-001
20476 CR 29 Platteville, CO 80651
April 4, 2022
Weld County Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners
Weld County Administration Building
1150 O Street
Greeley, CO 80631
To whom it may concern,
RECEIVED
APR 0 8 2022
nnr=LD COUNTY
elotIIMISSIONERS
In March of 2021 my Wife Kathlene and I purchased this property at 20476 CR 29, in Platteville to expand my
business opportunities and to enjoy the peaceful country location. One of the things we love most about living here
is being away from the city and the peace that comes along with it. Recently we received a notice in the mail stating
there would be a mining reclamation site being created right across the street from our property. Needless to say, we
are not pleased upon finding out this information. We have taken the time to reach out to several of our neighbors,
most of which aren't pleased to hear about this proposed mining reclamation site. One neighbor who purchased their
home less than a year ago is already going to put their home up for sale as a result of this Mining Reclamation Site.
With all this information having being said, I have a few questions I would like answered at your earliest
availability.
Please see the list below of questions we have regarding this Mining Reclamation Site being placed right across the
street from my quiet and serene country home.
What days and hours will your crews be operating?
Where will all these trucks and other vehicles be entering/exiting the site from?
Who will be in charge of maintaining the dirt road which will be ruined by all the traffic?
How will Dust Mitigation be taken care of? (This is a huge concern as our close neighbor is a farmer, and
their crops will be negatively affected by the amount of blowing sand and dirt)
Are we going to lose our priceless view of the mountains?
How is the noise pollution going to be handled?
Most importantly, how does this Mining Reclamation Site benefit us and all of the neighboring properties?
We do not believe a Mining Reclamation Site is necessarily a bad thing, however we want to make sure we are well
informed on what is going to take place right across the street from our property. Can we come to an agreement
regarding the questions listed above? I am positive we can all work together to make something work out for both
parties.
I greatly appreciate your time, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards,
David & Kathlene Woolverton
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