“Rare earth” drilling proposed

Three drill sites in sage grouse habitat

A Pennsylvania company hoping to find rare earth minerals near Powderhorn, Colo. has filed an application with Gunnison County for exploratory drilling. Seaglass Holding, Inc. drilled one of five proposed locations in the Rudolph Hill and Goose Creek areas before learning that it needed to apply for a county permit.

“There are five drilling locations, and they have already completed one,” said Ramon Reed, chairman of the Gunnison County Planning Commission. “The BLM didn’t tell anyone they needed an application for the county, and that’s why they have come to us now.”
Seaglass representatives did not return calls for comment. But the application outlined five drill sites for a total of four to six holes where core samples will reach depths between 200 and 500 feet. That’s relatively shallow according to Reed. By contrast, he said, the Tomichi Creek drilling proposed last fall by Tomichi Resources, LLC included core samples several thousand feet deep.
Reed and the Planning Commission met with representatives from Seaglass Holding on Friday, January 13 and held a work session on Friday, January 20. Questions were raised about the impact of drilling on the Gunnison sage grouse. Three drilling sites in the Goose Creek area, which is about six miles to the northwest of Powderhorn, lies in sage grouse habitat.
Gunnison County wildlife coordinator Jim Cochran said that one of those sites has already been drilled.
“Gunnison County is probably the only county in the western United States that regulates activities like this and has a program for the Gunnison sage grouse. It’s unique, and it catches some out-of-state companies by surprise,” Cochran said.
Cochran made three recommendations to the Planning Commission to protect the sage grouse during further drilling: no access to the drill sites between March 15 and May 15 to protect mating habitat; drill site reclamation conducted according to BLM policy; and equipment inspected to prevent the spread of cheatgrass.
“Cheatgrass’ biggest impact is its fire cycle. It burns more often than will allow sage grass and other plants to regenerate,” Cochran said.
According to Reed, the commission also discussed the possibility that Seaglass Holdings might find radioactive materials when they drill the core samples.
“It was brought up by the applicant at the first meting. They did say they frequently find what they term as “low level” radioactive materials, sometimes thorium and sometimes uranium, with this type of deposit,” Reed said.
The commission directed county staff to draft an  approval that includes provisions to test cuttings—materials that come out of the drill holes with the core samples—for radioactive materials. According to Reed, this is already standard practice by the company but adds another layer of assurance.
According to a National Geographic article shared with the commission by member Jim Seitz, rare earths are found in everything from cell phones to wind turbines and hybrid cars. They are not rare, just scattered, and current production is monopolized by China. With China indicating that it will dial back on the export of rare earths, many countries are seeking alternative sources.
Reed says that so far the Powderhorn proposal has drawn little attention from the public, with low attendance at meetings. The planning commission will hold a public hearing on February 3, after which they may take action on a resolution.