Moving along

Things aren’t slowing down any on the mountain that rises above the town. If you care either way about a mine just west Crested Butte, be aware things are moving along at a pretty good clip. I suppose when you start talking billions of dollars, people pay attention and keep moving toward that pot of gold. That’s to be expected.
I really don’t want to write about the mine. I don’t really want to think about the mine. I don’t want to think about what appeared to be something closer to rain on a Monday afternoon in January than snow. But while the temperatures will drop at some point, the mine this week feels like a juggernaut.
There are three stories in the paper this week concerning the possible molybdenum mine on Mt. Emmons. The state brushed aside an appeal by HCCA, and the mining company will be allowed to dig a new tunnel to the kabillion dollar moly deposit. The mine owners sent a nine-page response on why the heavy metals charted the last couple of years in Coal Creek on Mt. Emmons aren’t really a problem for the company. They’ll sit down with state reps on Friday. And then there is a preview of the two upcoming meetings concerning the mine. The meetings are “informational” and put on by the Forest Service. I get a feeling the Forest Service wants a chance to explain ahead of time why they can’t say no to the next step (baseline studies) in a mine above Crested Butte. Can you say lots of helicopters?
Like it or not… and most people up here don’t like it… if there is $10 billion in moly beneath Red Lady, the juggernaut isn’t going to just fade away. I guess this is simply an awareness update. In sports terms, it was a good week for the visiting team.

Things aren’t stopping.
Thompson Creek paid another million bucks to U.S. Energy just a few weeks ago for the chance to keep investigating how to dig out the ore. Last week, the state said go ahead and dig a new drift. The mine company this week said while there are indeed heavy metals coming off the mountain, it isn’t their responsibility and if you measure it differently, it isn’t so bad. The Forest Service next week appears ready to explain why baseline studies have to be okayed to find the best places for a mill and other mine facilities.
I’m just saying… things are moving at a pretty good clip.
By the way, the price of molybdenum oxide closed early this week at just over $17 a pound. According to Thompson Creek’s website, it is estimated there is more than 760 million pounds of high-grade molybdenum beneath Red Lady. You do the math and tell me why things would be slowing down.