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declamation award
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<br />:veal. This portal is no longer in
<br />;e.
<br />Perhaps the best-known owner
<br />F the Somerset mine was United
<br />Mates Steel, which operated the
<br />roperty from the early 1960s until
<br />385.
<br />Following a period of shutdown,
<br />Which affected many families and
<br />npacted the town of Somerset in a
<br />tajor way, the property was pur-
<br />hased in 1990 by Pacific Basin
<br />'.esources, a trading company.
<br />thch reopened the property as
<br />~anbom Creek Mine in 1991, with
<br />rear Coal Company as a minority
<br />partner.
<br />In August, 1995, Oxbow Carbon
<br />nd Minerals purchased Bear's
<br />nteres[, and [he mine is now oper-
<br />ted exclusively by Oxbow.
<br />The active surface area of [he
<br />nine extends from the Elk Creek
<br />'acili[ies area at Somerset to the
<br />ianporn Creek mine portal area,
<br />[bout a mile east of the community.
<br />The active underground mining
<br />area extends from the Sanborn
<br />reek Mine portal area east
<br />approximately four miles to
<br />Thompson Creek and north
<br />approximately one mile along the
<br />North Fork of the Gunnison River,
<br />an area of over 2,000 acres of land
<br />owned by Oxbow Carbon and Min-
<br />erals and the Bureau of Land Man-
<br />agement.
<br />The mine employs 137 people,
<br />with employees commuting from
<br />as far away as Carbondale and Pal-
<br />sade. All Delta County communi-
<br />ties are represented on the mine
<br />staff.
<br />Wright and Anderson report that
<br />the mine is in the process of expan-
<br />sion, a project currently in [he per-
<br />mit and design stage. They hope to
<br />be into construction later this year.
<br />THE PROJECT
<br />The reclamation project for
<br />which the mine received its award
<br />began shortly after Anderson was
<br />employed by the company in
<br />1994.
<br />Hubbard Creek portal area is
<br />located about four miles northwest
<br />of Somerset and the Bear Creek
<br />portal area about two miles north-
<br />west of Somerset, an area easily
<br />identified by the trestle on the north
<br />side of the highway.
<br />Reclamation was accomplished
<br />by demolition of no-longer-used
<br />facilities, blasting and burial of
<br />foundations, backfilling and grad-
<br />ing of the final surface, fertilizing
<br />the ground and seeding it with
<br />native plant materials, and
<br />mulching the new growth.
<br />The active stream channels of
<br />Hubbard and Bear creeks were pro-
<br />tected with rip-rap and sediment
<br />convol, Anderson said.
<br />The award notes that the recla-
<br />mation efforts were "outstanding"
<br />because the project involved steep
<br />slopes and difficult working condi-
<br />tions near active streams. The
<br />mine's cooperation with the Divi-
<br />sion of Minerals and Geology to
<br />ensure that all permitting functions
<br />and ground compliance matters
<br />were handled "in a proper and
<br />proactive manner" was also a key
<br />factor in naming Sanborn Creek
<br />Mine as the award recipient.
<br />Anderson reports that college
<br />students were hired to work on the
<br />project during their summer breaks.
<br />Last summer Mark Milner, Ben
<br />Swartzendruber and Craig Wright,
<br />all sons of mine personnel, com-
<br />pleted the project. The young men
<br />are taking engineering and environ-
<br />mental sciences, and the work not
<br />only gave them money for tuition
<br />and other school needs but hands-
<br />on experience as well. .
<br />Charles M. Chesnik, an earth-
<br />work contractor of Paonia, was
<br />heavily involved with the project in
<br />1996 also, Anderson says.
<br />William R. Beavers, a national
<br />technical advisor in plant materials
<br />with the National Park Service in
<br />Denver, provided expertise for the
<br />project. Two environmental protec-
<br />tion specialists with the Colorado
<br />Division of Minerals and Geology,
<br />David Berry and William Carter,
<br />were also helpful sources for the
<br />project.
<br />(fNDERSON MULTI-FACETED
<br />Wright credits Anderson's lead-
<br />ership with the success of the recla-
<br />mation project.
<br />The mine's environmental coor-
<br />dinator has a broad background of
<br />both education and experience.
<br />A native of South Dakota,
<br />Anderson received a degree in met-
<br />allurgical engineering from the
<br />South Dakota School of Mines at
<br />Rapid City. He later earned a min-
<br />ing engineering degree from the
<br />Colorado School of Mines at Gold-
<br />en and subsequently completed a
<br />master's of business administration
<br />from the University of Colorado.
<br />His experience includes working
<br />in production for several mining
<br />companies and working in "a lot of
<br />underground mining conswction."
<br />He also has government experi-
<br />ence, working for MSHA (the Min-
<br />ing Safety Health Administration)
<br />and the U.S. Office of Surface
<br />Mining. ~
<br />In addition [o work assignment ~
<br />in Florida, Oregon, Arizona, Neva ~
<br />da, Missouri, South Dakota, Nei. ~
<br />Mexico and Pennsylvania (whero-
<br />he was when Wright con[acte~'~
<br />him), Anderson spent some tim-~
<br />with a Bolivian tin mine and hydro I
<br />electric work in Ecuador.
<br />Now Anderson is in Colorado,
<br />and it appears this might be a pe;
<br />marten[ stop for him. He and hi ~
<br />wife, Judy, have purchased a smat I
<br />faun on Lamborn Mesa where the. ,
<br />raise hay, horses, some cattle, catc
<br />and dogs.
<br />Judy is also multi-faceted, wort I
<br />ing in adult home care, driving .;~
<br />school bus for special events an ~
<br />operating her own merchandisin,
<br />business.
<br />Wright and Anderson aze prou~
<br />of the progress being made by tl
<br />Somerset mine and excited abc•••~
<br />the company's plans for expansioi
<br />They feel Sanborn Creek Min
<br />will be a vital force in North Fe '
<br />economy for years to come.
<br />TOM ANDERSON (LEFT) AND WALT WRIGHT proudly display the 19&;
<br />Coal Mined Land Reclamation award, presented to Oxbow Carbon am- _
<br />Minerals for its Sanborn Coal Mine in Somerset. ~
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