On May 18-19 at 9:00 AM people will have the opportunity to voice their perspective/opinions on the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board(MLRB) rule changes. These rules will help change the environmental impact that mines have on our state. They also directly affect how the Dawson Gold Mine (near Canon City) will be regulated in the future, if it is ever built, so it is important that we get the strongest rules possible.
To speak at the hearing (via Zoom), please email camille.mojar@state.co.us by next Monday, May 9. Please request the opportunity to speak to the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board during the hearing. You will receive a confirmation and a zoom link back.
The more people that speak during this hearing, the more the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board may be swayed to adopt more environmentally friendly rules.
Your comments should be your own and focused on the two major rule changes being considered:
HB 19-1113 passed in 2019 with bipartisan support as a measure to improve water quality protections at hardrock mines and protect taxpayers from bearing the costs of mine reclamation and water quality restoration. Many hardrock mines require active water treatment while they operate and historic practice has all too often resulted in permanent water quality impacts when the mines close. The legislation requires all new mines and mine expansions to ensure a true ‘walkaway’ reclamation plan – including no permanent need for water quality treatment. The law also requires the state to collect bonds from mine operators that cover the costs of all anticipated water quality treatment in case the mine goes bankrupt.
“Temporary cessation,” also called standby status, is a mine’s official regulatory status when it ceases production for extended periods of time, whether due to economic circumstances or otherwise, but still intends at some point to reopen. Existing Colorado laws only allow a mine to stay in “temporary cessation” for a maximum of 10 years before reclamation must begin. Until recently, this requirement was poorly enforced, or ignored altogether. The new rule would seek to faithfully implement Colorado’s 10-year limit on delaying final reclamation after a mine stops operating. The regulators have proposed a fair compromise solution that provides flexibility for legitimate mining operations, but closes some of the loopholes that some speculators have used to try to escape reclamation obligations.
Your statements should be brief ( < 3 minutes) and could start out with: "I understand the Board is considering changes to two rules that are key to the environment. They are... (see text above)"
This is an opportunity to influence a key state governmental division. If we pass on this opportunity, then the Division and Board won't have a sense of what the public wants (but they will have mining organizations lobbying for no rule changes).
Please join me in signing up to speak at the hearing and making your interests clear!
Mike Gromowski
Arkansas Valley Conservation Coalition savefremontcounty.org