Outlook Resources, Inc. has applied to Dolores County to explore and mine for Molybdenum as well as Silver, Lead, Zinc and Copper in the Silver Creek Drainage above Rico. Dolores County Commissioners will consider the application at the Rico Town Hall on June 11th at 7pm. We have several concerns with the application including, the request to approve three distinct mining activities in an eleven page application, the request for a 30-year time-frame for the proposed activities, the lack of detail addressing environmental impacts, mitigation and remediation and the lack of effort on behalf of the applicant to obtain state and federal permits.

MAJOR CONCERNS

• The application joins prospecting with exploration, small scale mining and speculative molybdenum mining within one eleven application.
• The applicant seeks a 30-year permit with vested rights to mine whenever economically feasible.
• The application does not provide sufficient information to identify and prevent impacts to the natural resources, including the Dolores River which could impact downstream water rights and river users.
• Water quality protections have not been adequately addressed.
• Applicant has not shown proof of application and/or acquisition of state and/or federal permits for all activities contained within the application.
• The application does not sufficiently address traffic impacts from both the mine itself and the proposed transportation corridor.

Now is the time to engage and insist that Dolores County adopt policies and regulations to protect the watershed of the Dolores River, the community of Rico and San Juan County public lands users now and into the future.

On June 11th at 7pm in the Rico Town Hall the Dolores County commissioners will consider this application. Please consider attending the meeting to express your concerns or use the sample comment letter below to submit comments before the meeting. 

DETAILED CONCERNS
The application includes both exploration activities and 30-years of various mining activities. There are vast differences between the initial prospecting, exploration and a vested right for 30-years of mining activities including that of a large, deep molybdenum deposit. These activities should all be addressed in separate applications.

Exploration should be considered a distinct activity from mining. In exploration, operations are considerably smaller with the operator mainly working to categorize the deposit. Furthermore, exploration implies that the operator does not know the boundaries of the ore. Therefore it would not be possible to address the extent of impacts to nearby water sources (both quality and quantity), details regarding the projected development of the site, size and placement of tailings, inter-connectedness to the nearby St. Louis ponds, or the impact on Rico’s town roads. The applicant has filed for a permit for exploratory work with the Colorado Division of Reclamation of Mining and Safety (DRMS). Any county approval should allow activity only for the length of the DRMS permit (December 31, 2019).

Full-scale mining requires a variety of state and federal permits and approval prior to operation. Large-scale mining would have significant impacts not addressed in the application, including mine entry and exit in another county, the potential of hundreds of employees and infrastructure to support them, a water availability analysis, a mineral extraction plan, and the specifics on how the water resources and water quality in the Silver Creek drainage will be protected. This particular molybdenum deposit lies approximately 4,000 feet below the surface. Potential impacts from surface mining versus deep earth mining are very different and should require a more thorough review, individually.

In the immediate we are asking Dolores County to request separate applications for exploration and mining activities. Furthermore, we are requesting that the county require that the applicant enter into permit applications with all state and federal agencies prior to granting local approval.

To read Outlook Resource Inc.'s application CLICK HERE and go to the “Rico Mine Application Overview” link at the bottom of the page. To get more information on public comment and June 11th hearing please contact the Secretary to the Commissioners of Dolores County at 970-677-2383.

Dolores County Commissioners Contact info:
Address:
409 North Main Street
P.O. Box 608
Dove Creek, Colorado 81324
Phone:
Voice: (970) 677-2383
Fax: (970) 677-2815
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Dolores County Commissioners:

District 1:
Julie Kibel

District 2:
Ernie Williams, Chairperson

District 3:
Doug Stowe

Secretary to the Board of County Commissioners:
Margaret Daves

SAMPLE COMMENT LETTER

To: Dolores County Board of Commissioners
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Dear Commissioners,

I would like to respectfully request that you deny Outlook Resources application to mine molybdenum, silver, lead, zinc and copper for a 30-year period.  The protection of our valuable and irreplaceable resources needs to be ensured by Dolores County before mining of hardrock metals or molybdenum is allowed. 
The Dolores County Master Plan states (p. 26) that the minerals in the Eastern end of the county were of economic importance in the past, but now the scenic, wildlife and recreational attributes are the source of current growth and development. I ask that Dolores County adopt regulations and protections, which are in agreement with the ethics of Rico’s citizens and with public land use in the San Juan region.

Concerns:

o    The application omits details such as how exactly it will protect water quality and quantity for Rico and all downstream residents in the Dolores River watershed.

o    Outlook Resources consolidates three distinct mining activities into one application. With the consolidation of exploration and mining, no impacts will be adequately understood until exploration is complete. Impacts from surface mining versus deep earth mining are very different and should require a more thorough review, individually.
 
o    Dolores County should not to approve this application before the applicant has received necessary permits from Federal and State agencies. In the minimum, Dolores County should require the applicant to prove that State and Federal permits are in motion to protect land, water, and air before approving this project. 

o    The Division of Reclamation and Mining Safety is in the process of granting Outlook Resources a 10-year permit for exploratory drilling. If approval is granted, Dolores County should use a consistent 10-year permit.

o    The existing mines on the Outlook Resources property are hydrologically connected to a current reclamation site, the St. Lewis ponds. The application does not address the potential impacts the St. Louis ponds, which are settling ponds for mine drainage. Dolores County Commissioners should require the applicant to disclose how the proposed project will affect these waste ponds.

In conclusion, while Outlook Resources wants to use the Silver Creek drainage for private economic benefits, Rico’s citizens, downstream residents, and public land users depend on it as a critical water source.  I ask you to make your decision as representatives of the current and future residents of the Dolores watershed who will feel the impacts of this proposal for years to come.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion.