Mar. 13—Although enforcement related to a cease-and-desist order at Cross and Caribou mines outside Nederland continues, the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety has cleared resident complaints regarding the potential impacts of mine discharge on surface water and groundwater in the vicinity.
Most of the complaints, which came in after the department issued its cease-and-desist order in November, were made by Boulder County residents and focused on potential impacts to water resources, particularly downstream wells.
Complaints related to whether the mining operation was directly affecting the quality of people’s drinking water as well as general concerns about whether the mining operation was adversely impacting Coon Track Creek, according to Michael Cunningham, senior environmental protection specialist at the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, also known as DRMS.
DRMS reviewed data from a domestic well with a single sampling provided with an anonymous resident complaint as well as information provided by the state water quality control division and surface water sampling data from Coon Track Creek, Middle Boulder Creek and Barker Reservoir provided by the city of Boulder.
“After reviewing that data, we could not make any determination that any of those water resources had been impaired, which of course is good news,” Cunningham said.
Still, he noted this determination has no bearing on the corrective action put in place after the state issued a notice of violation and cease-and-desist order due to a violation of the Colorado Water Quality Control Act and a discharge permit by releasing heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and zinc into the watershed at levels exceeding what’s permitted by law.
The cease-and-desist order remains in effect until the state is satisfied the new water treatment facility is doing what it’s intended to do, Cunningham noted.
“I think the most important thing is to note that this is an ongoing issue,” he said. “We did not get past the enforcement. We’re going to continue to be monitoring the site.”
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“There’s really not an end date for responsibility to ensure that they’re protecting water resources out there,” Cunningham added.
The operation, run by Grand Island Resources LLC, discharges treated wastewater associated with the mines, which have produced gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead. According to the notice of violation, that wastewater is directed to a series of lined ponds. The water from both mines combines in the second pond and is discharged via pipeline to Coon Track Creek, which feeds into Barker Reservoir and Boulder Creek.
As part of the violation, the mine had to install a new water treatment filtration system, which it says is now fully operational.
In addition to being required to install a new water treatment facility, the mines are required to submit regular progress reports. The operation also was issued a $5,000 fine with the caveat that if the system fails or there is continued noncompliance the amount could be increased to $17,000.
For the mine, the fact that the DRMS cleared the residents’ complaints is a win.
“The water leaving our mine is and has always been safe to drink. We remain committed to meeting and improving upon the Cross and Caribou Mines’ legacy of ‘mining with respect for the environment’ while being exemplary stewards of Boulder County’s land and water,” Grand Island Resources president Daniel Takami stated in a news release.
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