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There was a community meeting held on 11/24. Many TAC members were able to attend. The article from the Canon City Daily Record is below. Did you attend the meeting? Do you agree with the article written by Debbie Bell? Give us your thoughts on what was said!


Article from Canon City Daily Record

Official: Uranium exploration presents low risk to water

Debbie Bell
The Daily Record

Black Range Minerals presents a low risk of aquifer cross contamination with its Tallahassee area uranium exploration, hydrogeologist Bruce Smith said Monday night.
That assumption is accurate providing the Australian company continues to utilize current drilling, abandonment and reclamation techniques, Smith said.

His independent oversight shows best management practices generally are in place for the water quality monitoring plan at the Taylor Ranch uranium exploration project, although some improvement is necessary.


“They will not eliminate the risk, but they will present a low risk,” Smith told an assembled group of about 40 at the Fremont County Administration Building during a citizens’ meeting on the hydrologic impact assessment of the Taylor Ranch Project.

Smith, with Western Water & Land, Inc., said two separate baseline studies are under way. The first, required by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, is for surface and groundwater and includes nine surface monitoring sites. Quarterly flow and water quality checks will include a comprehensive analytical suite of 67 inorganic and radiological parameters, and 137 volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds.

The second study was the result of public concern during the county’s conditional use permit process and tests domestic wells using 52 different lab parameters. A total of 42 domestic wells already have been sampled by Whetstone Associates, the Black Range Minerals hydrogeology consultant. Results from those tests will be available in the next four to five weeks.

In addition, data will be studied from 92 existing monitoring wells that were drilled about 30 years ago during the Hansen Project, a nearby uranium exploration project by Cyprus Mines Corp.

Smith said the Hansen data was “very relevant” although it is decades old, a stance backed up by Susan Wyman of Whetstone.

“Geology does not change quickly,” Wyman said. “There has not been a significant amount of pumping to change data from 30 years ago to data of today.”

Smith said a 30-year period is “the blink of an eye in geologic measure.”

Tallahassee residents openly questioned whether the baseline tests were valid, because BRM started exploration drilling in April 2007. They argued cross contamination already could have happened, invalidating the baseline results.

In short, Smith said, the readings are legitimate. Combining known variables with certain basic assumptions, he determined any contamination would take anywhere between seven and 144 years to taint the nearest domestic well.

“This is one cross-contamination scenario, assuming that it does happen,” Smith said.

Some members of the audience argued with Smith, who remained calm and said he would be available “all night long” to answer questions if necessary. At 10 p.m., three and a half hours after the meeting began, he still was speaking with individuals.

“I know some of you have very strong positions one way or another about the exploration program,” Smith said. “It is my job not to.”

WWL was brought on board in August as a condition of the permit that allowed Black Range to continue exploration. Although hired by and working for the county, BRM is paying the bill for the independent consultant.

“We have opened a direct line of communications with Black Range Minerals and their hydrologic consultant, Whetstone Associates,” Smith said.



Smith will continue his work with additional field inspections, follow-up with Black Range, evaluation of new data, and making new recommendations as needed. He also will schedule additional citizens’ meetings as necessary.

There was a HUGE IRONY pointed out first thing at that meeting by our expert, Tim Decker of WWA, that DOWN-HOLE WATERS WERE COMINGLING DURING THE MEETING!

That means that clean water was being cross-contaminated with contaminated water.

And that was just the first blow to the "protection" of our water.

(I can't read the Debby Bell article because the beginning of it is so untrue... why would I need to read further?)

The second thing that their expert Bruce Smith of WWL said was that the "Domestic water well monitoring program was NOT FOR THE PURPOSES OF MITIGATING ANY IMPACT TO OUR WELLS.

The third thing that Bruce attempted to explain are that there are differences in baselines they can use. Hear that... 'different baselines'... not A baseline. But different baselines, beginning with the 1980s data.

He has been asked to provide data as to when those baseline measurements were collected? Were they collected DURING the exploration phase, before, after? We do not know the dates that those studies were taken.

He was also asked to provide the method of 'abandonment' used at that time for those exploration holes.

Either way, we already know that BRM's baseline data is skewed because they began taking it AFTER drilling for 16 months, from April 2007 -- August 2008.
Apparently 'baseline' has the same flexibility as Bill Clinton's description of sex!

At least Bruce Smith was honest when he said the word "plume." He acknowledged that a plume will come of each hole and could reach water wells within 1 mile between 6.9 and 144 years. (Quick & dirty, back of the envelope calculation). Therefore if you are within 1/2 mile... your well could become contaminated in 3.45 years.

Bruce acknowledged that/and showed pictures of unlined pits used to capture drill cuttings and where the 'cores' will be disposed of.

He also acknowledged that the Oil & Gas Industry is made to line their pits.

WOW! HAS FREMONT COUNTY LEARNED NOTHING FROM COTTER/UNLINED PITS????

What we tried to make Mike Stiehl, Ed Norden, and Larry Lasha aware of was that THE COUNTY CANNOT REQUIRE ANY PROTECTIVE MEASURES OVER AND ABOVE WHAT DRMS REQUIRES!!!

In their arrogance, they believed they could protect our water. Especially, Mike Stiehl, the self-proclaimed 'Water Guy' who still doesn't realize that the COUNTY DID NOTHING TO PROTECT OUR WATER, NOTING AT ALL!

Howdy I was in & out, My thought was he hasn't collect all the current data and/or old data
did not know the ABANDONMENT used at that time?
and that water flows down hill which is when cross contamination takes place
Debbie Bell is very one side again
These commissioners are Living NEXT DOOR to Cotter's
SUPERFUND Site which they have agnored along with
STATE & FEDRAL GOV with out a dout FACT
I Stand on NO URANIUM MINING
I Look forward to The Upcoming Meeting
IN GOD WE TRUST Nita@theMbarD

Here again, we have an indication of what a backward state Colorado is and that crisis intervention is more relevant than studying the environment before problems occur! Fremont County is more interested in potential money received from mining operations and CDPHE is "short staffed" and "under funded" and obviously doesn't care about the fact that citizens of this state live within a mile of a radioactive metal being "explored" with the intent to mine in the future. So is the way of this state. Options- get the Hell OUT or FIGHT the archaic ways and bring about progress. You choose! Karen Barton