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I r1 tritrig u mpanzes. arePart of the local communh
<br /> JANEr PERRY tern in any mining practice. _ - - -:..,�•- _ �:,;.. .�;-,�k .r
<br /> NEDERLAND Hendricks'own dedication {F "
<br /> to safety is because he truly
<br /> Tom Hendricks is a hero- cares about people. He not
<br /> He's one of those men that sto- only wants to know that every-
<br /> ries will be told about long one is doing their job safely,he
<br /> after he's left this world of rich has helped with rescues. He
<br /> minerals,blue skies and wind. received the Duke Rudman
<br /> Since arriving in Nederland in Heroism Award in 1988 for his
<br /> 1968,Hendricks has proven to dramatic rescue of a partly-
<br /> be a notable miner, operating submerged individual who had £
<br /> through unforgiving long fallen 160 feet down a steep
<br /> mountain winters. Hendricks slope into.water. Hendricks
<br /> says its the challenge that used climbing equipment to
<br /> keeps him inspired. This in- accomplish the five-hour res-
<br /> spiration has helped create one cue.
<br /> of the most environmentally- Hendricks proudly rattles
<br /> friendly mining operations in off the names of his employees
<br /> the world. In a day when pop- and brags about the women
<br /> ulations are sickened by mine- miners who have worked for
<br /> poisoning of water and air, him. Hendricks was honored
<br /> Hendricks is Iooking for ways in 1985 for his support of
<br /> to be low-impact. women in mining.
<br /> Hendricks is fit for his "We have this great pro-
<br /> years and passionate about gram in place where when we
<br /> what he does,which puts a fun start making money, we're
<br /> twinkle in his eyes. He's gonna spin off pre-tax net
<br /> known in Nederland as an in- profit to ten chanties in Neder- BARBARA HA
<br /> credibly friendly and neigh- land," Hendricks proudly
<br /> borly guy. He spends a good mentioned a few,such as Wild Mine in full operation
<br /> part of his day filling out pa- Bear Science School, the Tom Hendricks,Greg Keller,Stepanie VonMende,Leah Page,Eric Clifford,DaveYoung,Neil
<br /> perwork on the different as- Nederland Teen Center, the and Mike Dexter make up the seven person mining crew taking Calais in a new direction.
<br /> pects of the urine's operation, Community Center, Neder-
<br /> environmental standards and land Seniors and The Library. local roads. They'll have free tion with the Calcium in the coiporated into the
<br /> safety. Honored time and again rock up here to use instead of mine. "Every one of our(min- Hendricks meets his er
<br /> Hendricks explained that for his commitment to the en- having to haul it up from Den- eral)veins is full of Calcite,ex- ees in Nederland each m
<br /> Colorado's "Mine Safety and vironment, Hendricks stands ver. and burning up diesel plains Hendricks."So,as the and drives them up
<br /> Health Administration can as a beacon of light in an in- fuel."-Hendricks pointed out water comes into them and mine. It's these st
<br /> come up here four times a dustry that does not always that the mining that is about to dissolves the calcite,the pH of thoughtful practices tht
<br /> year. They can come for four consider neighbors or their start in the next couple of the water coming out of the be noted most readily
<br /> hours,they can stay the whole natural world in their plans. weeks will only involve about mines is 8. Its very alkaline. mountain neighbors. A
<br /> year,every day of the year. So, Hendricks explained, "Any- one truck going out about We monitor our wells. Every neighbor,a steward of th
<br /> if you're a problem mine,they thing we do here, which is a every day and a half. morning we drink the water a miner and a hero. Ton
<br /> could end up being here 24n. tiny scale,we always plan for Hendricks explains that right out of our sink from the dricks has elevated th
<br /> In the last 15 years,we haven't the post-mining activity so they are an organic mine. The mine well that`s under the mine high for the mining in(
<br /> received one citation. That's that all of our environmental only thing that they use to sep- up here,because its so pristine. while proving that a mil
<br /> part of our really tough in- programs are current and in arate their minerals'is Pine Sol. There are smaller environ- beneficial to its local_co
<br /> house safety training and poli- compliance, but we're also They have a fortunate situa- mentally sound practices in- nity.
<br /> ties." thinking about what' well be
<br /> Hendricks pondered doing in the future."
<br /> mines that are not safely mon- Hendricks spoke of a fu-
<br /> itoied "That's what surprises turistic mine with an under-
<br /> me about these(Appalachian) ground mill. "In that mill it
<br /> coal mine operations that have_ will have some of the most so-
<br /> these problems, is because phisticated technology ever
<br /> they're supposed to have that heard of in mining. The ore
<br /> heavy oversight on coal never comes outside. It goes
<br /> mines." Hendricks was refer- into the mill,gets crushed and
<br /> ring to the practices in Ap- ground, we make a coneen-
<br /> palachian coal mining that trate, and the tailing sand will n�
<br /> have proven disastrous to both be filter-pressed;so that you �( l
<br /> the local environment and take all of the water out of the
<br /> miners themselves.Appalling sand,and you add portland ce-
<br /> statistics show haphazard poli- ment to it. So we'll have
<br /> ties that have led to numerous twenty mining areas all small
<br /> miner deaths, ifieluding 29 scale, but ten of them will be
<br /> miners killed in a Massey Fur- filled cemem and sand
<br /> ergy mine in West Vuginia this and we work off of that,so fllat
<br /> past year. A government in- when we're done up here,
<br /> vestigation has found Massey there's no tailings pond,there's
<br /> Energy negligence at fault for no water coming out of the
<br /> the 29 miners' deaths. There mine.
<br /> are many differences between The waste-rock that we
<br /> coal mining and gold mining, generate is high-quality gran-
<br /> but the safety of the miners ite. We're gonna crush diat and
<br /> themselves is a universal con- Boulder County and the Forest
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