Mt. CB mine meeting digs deeper, stirs passions

Forest Service obligated to approve a plan

As expected, the second of two U.S. Forest Service meetings concerning a proposal by representatives of the Mount Emmons Project to conduct geotechnical studies packed a bit more zip than the first. The second meeting was held Wednesday, January 26 in Mt. Crested Butte and drew more than twice as many people and took twice as long as the first meeting, which was held in Gunnison the night before.

The primary take-away was the same: the Forest Service cannot categorically deny approval of U.S. Energy’s proposed plan, which calls for permitting the company to conduct “geotechnical baseline studies” that will allow the company to determine the best places to site mine infrastructure like tailings ponds, reservoirs and transport pipes.
U.S. Energy, along with its partner Thompson Creek Metals Company, wants to proceed with the Mount Emmons Project, a plan to mine molybdenum from Mt. Emmons.
While the Forest Service can require modifications of the proposal as part of the Environmental Assessment (E.A.) review, under United States mining law, the feds cannot turn the plan down. That was made clear at both the Gunnison and Mt. Crested Butte meetings, by Tom Buchta, a forester based in the Region 2 office in Denver.
As for the dynamics of the meeting, more than 200 people from the north end of the valley packed into a conference room in Mountaineer Square on Wednesday. As they did the night before, representatives of the Forest Service and mine patent claim holder U.S. Energy presented plans and answered questions about the study proposal.
One of the lead project coordinators for the Forest Service, Jeff Burch, said that the High Country Citizens’ Alliance Red Lady, Dickie Brown, who sat in the front row, reminded him of Klinger from the TV show MASH. Brown was wearing a nice red tutu and matching tiara and gloves. Not everyone appreciated the lighthearted comparison. Kevin McGruther sat a few chairs away from Brown and periodically hoisted a sign during the two-hour gathering stating, “Pollution is a Mine-Pollution is a Crime.”
Burch told the crowd that the Forest Service is “very serious about understanding the concerns of the community. “We read every comment,” he said. “To be most effective, give us your thoughtful comments and submit them in writing. We take comments all through the analysis process.”
When it was time for questions, local gadfly Pete Giannini asked what had happened to the “pre-NEPA process.” He was referring to the period during which the Forest Service spent months with Crested Butte Mountain Resort sculpting a proposal that would have permitted lift-served skiing on Snodgrass Mountain. That proposal was ultimately turned down by the Forest Service. Meeting moderator Kathleen Bond was apparently not aware of that previous situation and tried to explain that most every project eventually gets into the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) oversight process. “Not that one,” yelled members of the audience.
Obviously uncomfortable with the connection, Burch explained there was a brief “pre-NEPA discussion process” with U.S. Energy that got the company to a plan that triggered a NEPA review. “The rules are the same but different,” he explained “It’s a different set of regulations when you are talking about a mine vs. a ski area.”
Most of the evening’s questions went to U.S. Energy vice president Fred Kraft. And most of the questions tried to pin him down on the number of helicopter flights that the company would conduct during the studies. He said he couldn’t estimate that number because of various, as-yet undetermined factors. He admitted that each rig needed to drill bore holes for tests would require approximately 25 helicopter trips to get the required rig parts to the location. There are 25 such locations being requested in the plan. “We’ll try to do most flights early in the day but a lot of it depends on weather,” Kraft said. “We also might have to fly in parts that are needed and work crews. We haven’t counted all the number of helicopter trips yet,” he said.
“It’s at least 1,302,” yelled one member of the audience. “Just do the math.”
Helicopters will also be used to transport mechanical excavators that will dig 26 test pits. Kraft said there will be helicopter staging areas at the mine’s private ranch property in Carbon Creek and by the water treatment plant just west of Crested Butte.
“The flights will be short and we want to be efficient,” Kraft said. “We won’t fly over the town and we won’t be going over any mountain ranges.”
HCCA president Billy Rankin asked the Forest Service why this proposal for baseline studies was being considered separately from an overall mining plan. “The Forest Service said in 2007 that it would look at a comprehensive mine plan and not allow the mine to piecemeal this thing into little sections,” he said. “Why are you looking at this now?”
“The need for geotechnical information is an independent action,” responded Burch. “It seemed reasonable to us that in order to eventually develop a well-thought-out engineered proposal for a full mine plan, the company needs this information.
“We won’t segment this into pieces,” Burch continued. “This proposal is a logical sequencing of events to allow us to do our job.”
Crested Butte Nordic Center executive director Keith Bauer asked if a bond would be required of the company before giving agency approval, and asked why the Forest Service review seemed to be on the fast track. “It seems like this process is moving along very quickly,” he said. “A backcountry hut placement would take longer than what your schedule is showing for this.”
“A reclamation bond will be required and that amount will be determined after we have a more finite idea of what will be disturbed as a result of the work,” said the Forest Service’s Buchta.
“Certain timeframes are stipulated by regulation once the NEPA process begins with a Plan of Operations,” explained Burch. “Different projects have different priorities. But you’re right, it’s pretty fast for an E.A.”
With that, meeting facilitator Bond ended the question and answer session of the meeting and people were asked to approach specific booths to ask questions of Forest Service specialists. Before the crowd dispersed to do that, Jackson Melnick started loudly chanting “Save the Red Lady! Save the Red Lady!” He was joined in the chant by scores of people in the crowd.
According to the Forest Service “process map,” the agency will gather all the information, look at all the comments and issue an analysis/development of alternatives and will produce a document for the public to review by this spring.