A Mr. Bartmess has submitted an application to ADEQ to conduct open pit mining operations on a 58 acre site along Mill Creek in Izard County. Apparently he has already started clearing operations on the site and has cleared and/or moved material all the way to the edge of Mill Creek. Recently some of the local residents contacted Friends of the NF&WRs concerned about this operation and noticed that clearing is continuing and modifications have been made in the area surrounding a spring that feeds the creek. According to local resident reports, these operations have already caused some silting of Mill Creek and higher turbidity in the Little Piney. Mill Creek feeds the Little Piney Creek that flows to the White River creeks noted for fishing and other recreational use.
I talked to David Hartley of the ADEQ, Mining Division who has visited the site and acknowledged there appears to have been site work already conducted in the area. The site is located about 7 miles down a private road which passes through an AFGC permitted 3500 acre Twin Mountain Elk Ranch. David indicated that there also has been some timber operations in the vicinity of the proposed mine. Due to the recent flooding and perhaps modification of the banks by the floodwaters, We shared concern as to where the ordinary high water mark might be situated and what abnormal silting may have already taken place and might take place due to the operations already being conducted.
I also talked to Jenifer Harmon of ADEQ, Water Division to see if Mr. Bartmess had applied for a stormwater permit. She could find no record of such an application in Izard County. She said she would send an e-mail to the ADEQ Jasper office and suggest they also visit the site to see what is taking place. State law says no work can begin on a site prior to the issuing of a permit that would already place Mr. Bartmess in violation of Environmental Protection laws.
I intend to contact the Jasper office later today (May 28tth) if I don’t hear from Tony Morris or Burce Kirkpatrick this morning to see if they intend to follow up on my conversations with Jenifer Harmon by visiting the site. I am trying to get the latitude and longitude of this site to file a formal complaint with ADEQ based on the reports I’ve gotten from Izard County residents. I would encourage residents to file their own “anonymous” complaints with ADEQ also.
I am also going to contact AGFC to see if they are aware of this proposed mining operation apparently within the Elk Ranch to see if they might become involved in what is going on relative to the clearing being done on this permitted Elk Ranch.
Should Mr. Bartmess have violated rules and regulations, I intend to encourage ADEQ to pursue assessment of penalties and seek a court order to prevent any further operations prior to a full evaluation of damages already done and the risk to further stream damage as a result of clearing in the reparian zone.
