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| 10/22/2009 6:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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Journal/Sam Green
Silver Creek flows past the Blaine adit, a remnant of previous mining activity in Rico. Many residents are concerned that prospective mining activites could threaten the integrity of Silver Creek, the town’s water source. |
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'Everyone is watching'
Mining regulation has grown much more strict since the last boom in Rico
Kimberly Benedict
Journal Staff Writer
Though the question of whether to bring a molybdenum mine to Rico elicits a wide range of discussion, perhaps the most volatile debate rages over the environmental impact new mining industry could bring to the region.
Buried deep in the San Juan mountains, Rico is known for the beauty of its landscape. From brilliant aspen stands to clear mountain streams, the town lives and breathes Colorado in its truest form. It is a legacy Rico strives to protect, prompted by the consequences the town is still facing from its mining history.
"The scars of improper mining have not been dealt with in the past," said Jennifer Stark, Rico town planner. "Folks have concerns, will it be dealt with in the future?"
The scars of past mining practices are deep and very visible in Rico.
Abandoned mines and mining equipment dot the spectacular landscape. Tainted water leaks from old mining tunnels. The roads in Rico, lined with gravel from the mines, contain high levels of lead, as do many of the yards in town. As a result, environmental concerns are front and center for many residents.
At a June 11 public hearing in Rico for Outlook Resources' land-use application, environmental protection was the concern voiced most often.
"I moved to Rico because of what Rico is," said resident Mike Guskey. "I love it the way it is. The beauty of this town could disintegrate."
By far, the most pressing concern among the citizens of the town is that of water.
At the hearing, part-time resident Steve Williams expressed a fear felt by all who live in Rico. "My big concern is the protection of the watershed," he said.
Rico currently procures its drinking water from Silver Creek, which runs through the proposed mine site. The Rico Municipal Water Supply Diversion Gallery is located approximately 1,000 feet upstream from the site.
In 2008 the town created a watershed protection area to ease fears about contamination of the water supply. The mine site, however, is just beyond the reach of the protection area.
Mark Levin, president of Outlook Resources, the company interested in exploring the molybdenum deposit, understands the concerns of those who live in Rico but maintains they are unwarranted.
"I'm an environmentalist," said Levin, who holds a degree in ecological engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. "There would be no new environmental disturbance. All you would have is environmental betterment."
The idea of environmental betterment has been a theme in Rico over the past decade, but the execution has not always been as flawless as the concept.
The molybdenum site was part of a voluntary clean-up agreement (VCUP) that ARCO entered into with the state in the 1990s. The VCUP focused on tailing piles, revegetation and soil remediation.
Not everyone in Rico has been happy with the results.
"We have been plagued with this environmental problem," said resident Ken Hazen at the public hearing. "The VCUP isn't even done yet."
Levin promises to continue the work begun by ARCO until the results are satisfactory.
Water concerns, however, remain.
Silver Creek is currently listed on the Colorado Department of Health and Environment's Water Quality Control Division's 303(D) List as an "impaired water." An impaired water listing signifies a body of water does not attain water quality standards due to the presence of one or more pollutants, according to WQCD's listing methodology for the 2010 listing cycle. Silver Creek's listing is a result of zinc and cadmium levels in the water. However, that contamination is due to past mining activity, using practices that have changed drastically.
"The perception of it being just like it was 50 years ago, I think, is false," said Mark Walker, project director with the Colorado Brownfields Foundation. "Regulations have become a lot more stringent" Walker worked for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and was involved in the ARCO VCUP project.
Walker also maintains that completed reclamation work would not be threatened by a new operation.
"ARCO clean-up issues are associated with former mining stuff," he said. "As long as they (Outlook Resources) adhere to the previous agreed VCUP for the area, I don't see that there would be an issue.
"There could actually be benefits to the environment. There might be opportunities to improve because environmentally, things are not optimal in Rico right now."
Karmen King, an aquatic toxicologist from Cortez and the co-owner of Grayling Environmental, which performed the watershed study for Rico in 2006, understands the water issues Rico faces, but also knows that mines are held to incredibly high standards in the 21st century.
"There are considerable numbers of environmental regulations in place," King said. "The standards for Silver Creek are really stringent. It would be virtually impossible to just start releasing some sort of pollutant. You would have the attention of the state government, the EPA."
And, she said, "The Rico community is very environmentally astute."
According to King, any activity that would affect water on Silver Creek would be under the purview of the federal Clean Water Act. But there are also regulations beyond the Clean Water Act that prohibit mines from dumping wastewater or product that would damage any aspect of the environment. She also thinks miners are more cognizant of the issue than people believe.
"There are no excuses anymore," she said. "We have treatment methods and we have understanding. Some of the most intelligent people are in mining. Someone could introduce a good economic opportunity and still be environmentally compliant."
Given their past experience with the mistakes of the mining industry, residents of Rico remain understandably cautious of the impact Outlook Resources could have on their community.
As far as King is concerned, however, the protections currently in place make contamination of the Rico environment highly unlikely.
"It would be very, very difficult for someone to cause damage," she said. "Nobody would put up with it, and everyone is watching."
Reach Kimberly Benedict at kimberlyb@cortezjournal.com.
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