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| 3/21/2008 11:11:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Commissioners to discuss uranium mining
Mike Potter
Staff Writer
Park County Development Services Coordinator Tom Eisenman met with Horizon Nevada Uranium Inc. President Bill Wilson on March 14, and Eisenman was scheduled to meet with county commissioners on March 19, but it's unclear at this point what input the commissioners will have in the decision-making process on uranium mining in Park County.
Eisenman said on March 18 that he was in the process of determining what rights the county has with the proposed in-situ recovery uranium mines planned for South Park near Hartsel, in terms of using county land use regulations.
The proposed uranium mines are a priority issue for the county, and officials would be watching the progress closely, Eisenman said.
According to information provided by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, three agencies each share a portion of the permitting process: the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
A radioactive materials license must be issued by CDPHE to an applicant in order for a company to handle radioactive materials and uranium recovery operations.
Part of the application process requires two public meetings and input from county commissioners.
According to an e-mail from Warren Smith, community involvement manager for the CDPHE, when making a decision on the application, the CDPHE will take into consideration the county commissioners' comments, but "in the end, it comes down to a question of does the application demonstrate that the operation can be done in a way that protects people and the environment."
The public input meetings would be further along in the process of applying for permits and could be years away, according to CDPHE documents.
The Colorado Department of Natural Resources also requires a notice of intent of prospecting activities be sent to property owners whose land might be mined. A mining company must also obtain a reclamation permit.
The EPA requires that mining companies receive an aquifer exemption for any possible in-situ mining operation. During the application process, a company must prove that an aquifer isn't currently being used as a source of water and cannot be in the future, in order to obtain the exemption.
"Look at it this way - I wouldn't want to get my drinking water from a source that contained a uranium deposit, would you? In addition to being radioactive, uranium is a heavy metal - not something you'd want to ingest," Smith said.
The CDPHE isn't yet involved with the regulation of the proposed Horizon Nevada project, according to Steve Tarlton, unit leader for the CDPHE radiation management unit. It would only become involved once an application was filed with them, which could be a while.
"It's very much in it's infancy," said Eisenman.
Eisenman said Horizon Nevada would be staking between 50 and 60 well sites for the proposed uranium well field.
This summer, Horizon Nevada will be drilling exploratory wells to determine the level of uranium in the area.
The process would involve drilling holes and measuring radiation.
Opposition group arises
Doran Moore, one of the founding members of Save Our South Park Water '08, said his organization is in the process of collecting membership and will hold a public meeting in early April.
"We want to preserve the quality of life," he said, including property value and water quality.
"I love the area."
His property isn't on the list of properties on which a claim was filed, but neighbors all around him are, which prodded him into action.
"We've certainly received a lot of inquiries and encouragement," said Moore, who has set up a Web site at SOSPW08.blogspot.com.
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