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<br />~tir~ax, coin#y d~s~~icts ~~~~
<br />ey Mare Angelo
<br />DaYy Ntrwe Stall Writer
<br />SUMMTtC0f1'iV'I'Y- Thetas[
<br />step to reclaiming Climax mine
<br />begins with sludge.
<br />As it stands. Climax Mine on Fre-
<br />mo~t Pass. scars Bartlett Mountain
<br />with its open pits and railings ponds
<br />standing out like a giant billboard
<br />advertising the effects of industrial
<br />tlllmnE.
<br />But [hrough a neyv program slat-
<br />ed to begin as soon as February, the
<br />facility might no[ be such an eyesore
<br />in the years to come.
<br />!n an agreement between Climax
<br />and xveral Summit County sanita
<br />don districts. mrckloads of bio-solids
<br />- a processed. organic product con-
<br />taining human waste and just about
<br />anything [hat goes down a kitchen
<br />~, drain -will wind their way toward
<br />~ the mine. located 11.300 feet high on
<br />Fremon[ Pass. It will then be deposit-
<br />ed into the 3?0-acre Robinson Tail-
<br /><~ ing Impoundment, reclaiming about
<br />30 to 40 acres each year. By filling
<br />~ the tailings pond with the organic
<br />a material, which is similaz to fertiliz-
<br />er or too-soil. Climax hopes to tenon
<br />the area m its nantral state. -_.
<br />The reclamation, part of the
<br />mine's responsibility under the Mine
<br />land Reclamation tic[ of 1977, rep-
<br />resents one of the largest projects of
<br />its type in national history.
<br />s The program includes five Sum-
<br />mil County bio-solid producers that
<br />~ will conttibu[e about 1,000 dry tons
<br />,/~ of bio-solids per yeaz to the project
<br />over the next decade- eventually
<br />transforming the yard- now stained s
<br />with a series of test-colored rings
<br />that line its perimeter - loin a grassy
<br />field
<br />"I'he project should help with
<br />aesthedcs.Crom the highway looking
<br />wes4" Climax envirorunenta! plan-
<br />ner Brice Rotnig said. "Climax is
<br />obligated ro reclaim, and in order to
<br />grow grass here, we need to have
<br />organic matter. We see one good
<br />source of tha[ organic maner being
<br />the bio-solids. There hasn't been a
<br />cooperative agreement between five
<br />separate municipalities and one min-
<br />ing interest in the past"
<br />The program should benefit all
<br />involved, according to Romig, who's
<br />overseen its planning for nearly two
<br />years. The abundance of bio-solids
<br />produced in Summit County is cur-
<br />rently carted to the Summit County
<br />landfill where i['; transformed in[o
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<br />Summa DanyrBraa Odekirk
<br />Climax molybdenum mine, which opened in 7918, was at the
<br />heart of Colorado's mining history until it closed in 1987. It has
<br />operated sporadically since. Pending the signing of an agree-
<br />ment with several Summit County sanitation disficts. the mine
<br />wi116egin reclamation wcrk on one of its largest tailings ponds
<br />this spring.
<br />compost before being wld. The
<br />county's sanitation districts pay
<br />duurping fees for the service to the
<br />mne of 550.000 annually. and the
<br />landfill profits from the :ale of the
<br />COmpOSL
<br />Dillon/Silverthome Joint .~urhor-
<br />ity chief plant operator Z::ch ~larto-
<br />Gs estimates the agreement itas [he
<br />potential to save the sanitation di~-
<br />[riets as much as 5=0000 a year, But
<br />that's not the ereatest ber.e:it of the
<br />project, he said.
<br />"[n Summit Caunr. ~.~a ':a
<br />always had bene!ical ^.e ..t the
<br />product:' he laid. '~b~e'.e ~:. e:i :; a
<br />several sites for .oil .:rtter.ic~;
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<br />SY F.•,
<br />~ou~Ta~H
<br />Flat-rate ylrtm
<br />i Dial-nn :9 .i 1:+:
<br />Dr~tc_tra lnl
<br />Discount Lvn.
<br />j Wrb Ya>;e Deue::
<br />inatoq .c Di~ui .
<br />Business .4 Yrrs c
<br />t~mimv r'~.ler ..
<br />Inrrr-r 'u: -
<br />Vo ce tleOybY-~61tl !-gin
<br />fertilizer
<br />In Summi[ Count
<br />none of
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<br />y,
<br />what we produce h:u gone into a -SII~I1s2C D$j
<br />landfill ,:ell in [he past '_0 years. But OUR BT}i Y'
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<br />in its county limi[s the [ailings ads
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<br />woiseo mamngs.ayr
<br />CV .CCjIfT~UTT.If ~ C
<br />of the Climax projects. This project d0'x .vain ;hear. ~~
<br />can improve tha xoln_rv, makz it a rr,r
<br />lo[ preaier aestheucally and brio. it
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<br />back into our ecologic .ys[em." ~.-o,.:,.:.,,,,,.,,cd.;.
<br />Phil Hz__man. an environmental ~..,.,„,;,,,:r-a..~._-„
<br />pnxectitmspeeialisttortheColorado ,,
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<br />Denartmcnt of Puhlic Health and ,ate
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<br />Ear iromnent. •.vorkud ~m putting the .Are,-.:_,.,, L.:r, .x:~.
<br />wAC~an=.~.K• +,.V:w.+..-.
<br />permits m plats :ix ;hu Climax pro- '"^"' ^"~"",.~.:':-°
<br />~u._;. ALL SER`/ICES..............
<br /> FA x.. _ ............... _...........
<br />H: ..::,t .; •umlar method was rsn,. .............__._._...._
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