Exploration drilling for uranium in the Tallahassee area received the green light from the county this morning, but the issue is far from settled. Following months of controversy and argument, the Fremont County Commissioners unanimously approved the Conditional Use Permit required to test the area northwest of Cañon City for the economic viability of a full uranium mining and milling operation. However, the commissioners warned Black Range Minerals the county will be a strict watchdog to ensure the company complies with a lengthy list of conditions. Those stipulations are in the works and are scheduled for adoption next month following a public comment period. "The decision we have before us today is complicated by the fact so many people" made impassioned pleas, both for and against the project during an earlier public hearing, said District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden. Norden and the other commissioners, Larry Lasha and Mike Stiehl, admitted the issue has caused many sleepless nights. They also said they had changed their minds "several times" throughout the entire permitting process...
The permit allows BRM only to drill to determine the economic viability of a new mine in an area with a long history of uranium mining. The exploration drilling phase could last between three to five years, and if it proves feasible, the company will then consider a full mining and milling operation. If undertaken, such an enterprise will be subject to the lengthy, arduous process of filing for literally dozens of permits from the state and the county. BRM is on record saying they would consider underground mining and not "in situ recovery," where leaching solution is pumped into the mineral deposit via a borehole, circulated to dissolve the ore, and then extracted and processed. If each step is successful, BRM has pledged to invest time, money and effort to create the most technologically-advanced, state-of-the-art facilities possible, including its own mill to process the uranium. However, in a county that still has a Superfund cleanup at the Cotter Corp site on its mind, Black Range's assurances rang untrue to some residents. To many, the exploration means the certain return of uranium mining to the county and a new host of issues.
The commissioners' decision came following months of heated debate over the possibility of uranium activity returning to Fremont County. Many residents of the Tallahassee area vehemently oppose the exploration. Locals swarmed to sign petitions against the project and joined Tallahassee Area Committee, Inc., an organization formed explicitly to fight uranium exploration. Following today's decision, TAC issued a press statement threatening legal and legislative actions and said the approval is not the end of the issues but rather the beginning. "The appropriateness of differing land uses in the Tallahassee Area Watershed must be resolved," president Jim Hawklee wrote in the statement. "The broader issue of uranium mining must be addressed in its totality."[...]
Colorado Citizens Against Toxicwaste, an organization that has fought against Cotter Corp. for years, recently adopted a resolution that unsuccessfully urged the commissioners to deny the permit and, instead, bring in an outside expert. Acknowledging vehement opposition and impassioned support throughout the county, TAC recognized the project has fractured relationships in the community...
The commissioners have prepared a draft document of conditions that will be attached to the Conditional Use Permit. That record will be available in the Planning and Zoning Department, 615 Macon Ave., this Wednesday. The document also will be available online at www.fremontco.com the same day. Public comment must be in writing and is due to the county by close of business on June 25. Final conditions should be adopted at the regularly scheduled meeting to begin at 9:30 a.m. July 8 at 615 Macon Ave.
