It will be up to Congress

While nothing is set in stone, negotiations are under way to keep Mt. Emmons molybdenum-mine-free forever. Under a general concept agreed to by the mining company, local environmental organizations and the town of Crested Butte, the decades-old controversy over extracting moly from Red Lady could likely end with U.S. Energy Corp. walking away with rights to other federal lands worth tens of millions of dollars. Read More »

Mt. Emmons to be free of mining forever?

It was announced Monday that negotiations have been taking place for the last year that might lead U.S. Energy Corp to give up its right to mine molybdenum on Mt. Emmons. The mining company announced on May 14 that it is open to some sort of “land exchange or similar process with the United States for the mining claims associated with the Mt. Emmons Project.”

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Planning for a future without “man camps”

After offering up a 960-acre, family-owned in-holding in the middle of the Fossil Ridge Recreation Area for trade to the federal government, longtime Gunnison resident Butch Clark knew he was in for a wait. Read More »

Work could begin in 2013

After five years of studying the old Standard Mine site south of Scarp Ridge, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a remediation plan for the superfund site. The two-phase plan would control the flow of water through the mine to reduce contamination, and if needed, use passive water treatment to further treat runoff. Read More »

Head into teeth of the lion this weekend

The Crested Butte Titans high school soccer team closed out their preseason workouts with a team hike, followed by a scrimmage against Aspen.
While in past years the team hiked West Maroon Pass to face Aspen in Aspen, this year the Titans stayed in the valley to traverse Scarp Ridge to the summit of Mt. Emmons on Friday, where they gathered to vote in seniors Nolan Blunck and Ben Reaman as captains for the 2011 season. Read More »

Mt. Crested Butte roadwork continues after pause
The wet spring set back paving crews from United Industries who have been working on a paving project in the Goldlink subdivision and around town. Then they had to go out of town for another job, but town manager Joe Fitzpatrick said he was promised crews would be back in town to finish the roadwork by Monday, July 25, and they were. Read More »

New qualifier racecourse in the works

It’s not often that mining and bicycling meet, but U.S. Energy recently threw organizers of the Leadville 100 qualifier for a bit of a loop. The planned racecourse heads out and back over Kebler Pass—and over property previously managed by Thompson Creek Metals. With that company’s recent departure from U.S. Energy’s proposed molybdenum mine, blessing for racers to bike on mine property on July 31 went with it. Read More »

Every once in a while, a window of opportunity opens in life. Despite some nasty spring weather this week, the universe decided to open a window.
Thompson Creek Metals Co. has backed out of its option agreement with U.S. Energy, the mining company that holds the rights to take the molybdenum from Mt. Emmons.
Thompson Creek is real. It is a company highly respected in the mining world. CEO Kevin Loughrey is esteemed in the industry in general and the molybdenum trade in particular. The Thompson Creekers know what they are doing. And they have just backed away from a high-grade deposit of ore that is located in the mountain a stone’s throw from Crested Butte.
That action is real and it means something. Monday, between flights, Loughrey communicated to me that it was a decision of priority. To me that means the kazillion dollars-worth of moly in Red Lady isn’t a priority or at least very easy to get to within a certain profit parameter, at least right now. FYI, molybdenum is selling this week for about $17 pound.
So while many in this town will celebrate and declare victory (again), don’t be lulled into thinking this story is over. But a window has opened. U.S. Energy is not finished trying to mine the moly. They have already said they will re-establish contact with the Chinese to see if they want the ore. Seriously? Can you say hěn fán? I already know Tsingtao.
But the Thompson Creek decision makes it harder. A real company with real resources looked at the project and made a business decision to back away. So has an alphabet soup of smart mining companies: Amax, Kobex, Phelps Dodge, Climax. That has to send a message to the Larsen brothers who run U.S.E.
So now it might be time to look for the community to send a message as well. That message can include the fact that the community will continue to use every tool and pressure point to stop a potential mine that could damage the water we drink. But a second part of that message might be that it is time to end this war and find a permanent solution.

Some might argue that this is another sign a mine will never be developed and we can ignore it. That’s simply not correct. But let’s consider a shift and the idea of taking matters into our own hands. Is it time to approach the patent holders about a permanent solution where both sides walk away with a win? Can this community and its factions come together and rally to figure out a road map to take control of that land and thus its destiny?
Local politicos, the elected leaders of our community, might look at a mil levy for the county, the north end of the valley or the town of Crested Butte. That money could be used to at least pay the seven figures a year to operate and maintain the water treatment plant that sits on Mt. Emmons. It is a plant that will keep Coal Creek clear instead of orange. Now don’t do it unless you gain overall control, but U.S.E. could probably warm to the idea of taking that off its balance sheet.
Or think bigger. It might mean collaboration between the municipal governments, the area environmental organizations, the county, the local property owners and area businesses to define a plan where U.S. Energy benefits by washing its hands of this ill-fated mining project and it finally doesn’t have to worry about running a million-dollar plant it doesn’t want.
What other tools can the community utilize? Second-home owners? Conservation easements? Land trusts?
And then it will be the community that can decide to throw snow cats on that mountain instead of bulldozers. The community just might have a chance to take charge of its destiny. I’m just thinking out loud.

Windows of opportunity don’t always open easily. Sometimes they open just a crack. This one seems to be open in a spring storm and the snowflakes are pouring in, waking up everyone with hope and a chance. It doesn’t mean it will be easy. It doesn’t mean the window won’t close on our fingers. But it sure seems silly to ignore this chance and not try to at least explore what is on the other side of the glass.

By the way, some advice for our Chinese friends: Bú Yào and tiānì hěn lěng. (Loosely translated; We don’t want and the weather is cold here).

What’s Mandarin for molybdenum?

The head of Thompson Creek Metals Company knew the impact his company’s decision would have in Crested Butte. “We know we have made a lot of people there happy but we are sorry we can’t continue the good fight to build the mine,” company chairman Kevin Loughrey wrote in an email to the Crested Butte News. Read More »

Helicopters an issue?

Work to improve the area at the intersection of the Slate River and Gunsight Roads will commence this August. The idea is to clean up the coal piles from the old Smith Hill mine and restore the wetlands. The work will likely involve some helicopter flights, and that is giving some people heartburn. Read More »