Posted inNews, Sports

Hold my pickax: In a battle of the miners, men and women compete to see who’s the best, well, miner

OURAY — Before the million-dollar homes, ski hills and film festivals, Colorado’s high mountain towns were home to the first white settlers who came prospecting for gold, silver, and other precious metals. There is a saying, “if it’s not grown, it’s mined,” referring to all the minerals and metals that are used in our daily […]

Posted inNews

Colorado mining board fines “illegal” operation in Jefferson County near Rocky Flats, keeps it closed

The Colorado mining board extended closure of an allegedly illegal mining and milling operation near Rocky Flats that inspectors say threatens Jefferson County watersheds, adding a fine up to $12,000 and ordering the owners to apply for a state permit and post cleanup funds.  In a contentious hearing Wednesday in front of the Mined Land […]

Posted inBusiness, Climate, Economy, Environment, News, Outdoors, Water

Climate change is eroding work to clean up the Snake River. Is Summit County snowmaking making it worse?

KEYSTONE – The Snake River wends through this resort village, rushing streamside condos, beckoning anglers to cast after rainbow trout and, at some point in the year, funneling into equipment Keystone ski area uses to make snow.  But a few miles upstream, the river is a braid of smaller streams that scour a mineral-rich basin […]

Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

Zornio: Mine operators offer no proof in lawsuit threat against Nederland officials, but plenty of intimidation

Roughly two months after Cross and Caribou mine operators were issued a cease-and-desist order for alleged heavy metal water pollution, the company responded by slapping Nederland town officials with a cease-and-desist order of their own.  The unorthodox move came as tensions flared between concerned locals and Grand Island Resources, the company that owns the Cross […]

Posted inEnvironment, News, Politics and Government

Cleanup of abandoned mines could get boost under congressional infrastructure bill, relieving rivers

By Michael Phillis, The Associated Press ST. LOUIS — Thousands of abandoned coal mines in the U.S. have been polluting rivers and streams for decades, in some cases harming fish and contaminating drinking water. Now efforts to finally clean up the sites could soon get a big boost. Tucked into the Senate-passed infrastructure bill is […]