{"id":41366,"date":"2022-04-02T03:08:18","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T09:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/mill-has-until-june-to-clear-chip-pile-residents-get-evacuation-plans\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:00:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T09:00:40","slug":"mill-has-until-june-to-clear-chip-pile-residents-get-evacuation-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/mill-has-until-june-to-clear-chip-pile-residents-get-evacuation-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Mill has until June to clear chip pile; residents get evacuation plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The
The sawdust and wood chip pile at the Ironwood mill in Dolores. (Kala Parkinson\/The Journal)<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

For months, the Ironwood mill in Dolores has been the subject of community and county criticism for its failure to effectively reduce a sweeping wood chip pile on its property amid contested \u2013 and now halted \u2013 expansion plans.<\/p>\n

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has since ordered the mill to remove the sawdust and chip pile by June 15.<\/p>\n

That was explained in a news release Wednesday from Montezuma County. County officials continue to monitor the pile that has raised concern about its potential to ignite a fire.<\/p>\n

And while there is always a chance of a fire, Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said, he and other emergency officials are working with nearby residents to plan for a safe evacuation in the event of a fire.<\/p>\n

CDPHE\u2019s Hazardous Materials Waste Division informed Ironwood on March 10 that the chip pile was not in compliance with the minimum standards of the Solid Wastes Disposal Sites and Facilities Act, the news release said.<\/p>\n

That notice asked Ironwood to outline plans for reducing the pile in a written response within 30 days and to schedule a compliance conference within 45 days to further discuss a removal schedule and solutions.<\/p>\n

CDPHE, and potentially the county, may consider legal action if the mill fails to bring its property into compliance with environmental regulations, the news release said.<\/p>\n

In January, Jim Spratlen, head of Montezuma County Office of Emergency Management, said he measured the pile to be 360 feet by 507 feet and, at its deepest, 61 feet high. On average, the pile was measured to be 30 to 35 feet high.<\/p>\n

The county is unsure how much progress has been made in reducing the pile since then.<\/p>\n

The Journal <\/em>contacted Jeff Bunnell for comment, but was informed on Sunday that he has stepped down as CEO of IronWood Group LLC.<\/p>\n

The sea of wood debris off County Road T poses a fire risk and dredges up memories of the Aspen Wall Wood fire outside Dolores, the Western Excelsior Corp. fire in Mancos and even the Marshall Fire in Boulder.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A resident neighboring the mill initiated conversations with the county to discuss potential evacuation plans.<\/p>\n

Joellen Dickey, who lives on Road T. 5, is serving as an unofficial liaison between fire officials and residents bordering the mill.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can\u2019t wave a magic wand and make it (the pile) go away,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we can try to do is survive it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A plan would prevent residents from \u201crunning around and panicking\u201d in the event of a fire, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an interesting process observing the lack of mitigation, and frightening that a big hazard has been created,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She and other residents praised county government and emergency officials, including Dolores County Fire Chief Mike Zion, Nowlin and Spratlen for their involvement.<\/p>\n

The residents were advised to sign up for Nixle alerts, which provide emergency notifications by text and email.<\/p>\n

A tabletop session at the Dolores Fire Office April 12 will facilitate conversations about evacuation plans and identify individuals who may need evacuation assistance.<\/p>\n

John Godbout, manager of neighboring Circle C RV Park and Campground off Road T, said that he\u2019d seen \u201ctrucks here and there\u201d but hadn\u2019t noticed a significant reduction to the pile.<\/p>\n

When The Journal<\/em> visited Circle C on Thursday, the mill was silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just how it\u2019s been,\u201d Godbout said.<\/p>\n

Godbout echoed the sentiments that other residents have expressed to The Journal, <\/em>and said that many of the mill\u2019s neighbors are frustrated that mitigation has taken so long, but grateful that the county is working to resolve the issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe outrage has already been shown in the meetings with the county,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin doesn\u2019t want the residents to worry.<\/p>\n

He is advising the mill\u2019s neighbors to pack go-bags now with things like important papers, medications and pet carriers. He visited several neighbors of the mill this week, listening to their concerns and urging them to remain calm and trust the Sheriff\u2019s Office and other emergency officials to safely get them out if a fire does erupt.<\/p>\n

His office has a list of volunteers willing to help residents move trailers, horses, cattle and other items.<\/p>\n

Unlike the slash pile that caused the Aspen Wall Wood fire outside Dolores, the chip pile at Ironwood is above ground, he said. Much of the land near the mill is \u201ccleared out\u201d and open, he added.<\/p>\n

\"A
A log pile at the Ironwood mill in Dolores. (Kala Parkinson\/The Journal)<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

A fire would be more severe if it spilled into a nearby canyon, although he doesn\u2019t think that is likely.<\/p>\n

Regardless, he said he would \u201cgo up in flames\u201d before letting anyone get hurt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be able to get people out without any problem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Fires can be caused by any number of factors and \u201ccan happen anywhere in the county,\u201d he said. Lightning strikes are perhaps the most concerning instigators, he said.<\/p>\n

County commissioners in January voted to revoke the wood manufacturing plant\u2019s high-impact permit, effectively halting proposed changes that could have allowed expansion plans including on-site housing, 24\/7 operations and steaming vats.<\/p>\n

Neighbors of the mill \u2013 who have loyally followed the mill\u2019s proposed permits \u2013 protested the high-impact permit and voiced fear that they\u2019d be caught in a line of fire emanating from the mill\u2019s inaction.<\/p>\n

In that January meeting, mill representatives argued that they faced changing guidelines from the county, to which county officials contended that the mill had ample and clear notice of what was expected to bring its violations into compliance.<\/p>\n

Officials were left with many of the questions they had raised in previous mill discussions, most notably: When would the dangerous chip pile be sufficiently reduced?<\/p>\n

Mill representatives struggled to answer.<\/p>\n

They expressed a desire to bring the mill into compliance but provided an estimate of $200,000 to $400,000 for chip removal and added that the mill would not have the money unless additional investors were recruited.<\/p>\n

The mill representatives spoke of potential solutions, including entering into an agreement with a Salt Lake City wood pellet mill that would pick up the chips, as well as eventually transforming the mill into a plywood manufacturing site.<\/p>\n

The mill laid off its employees in October because the company had no steaming vats installed to dry wood.<\/p>\n

It has not reopened since.<\/p>\n

This article was republished Sunday, April 3, to reflect that Jeff Bunnell is no longer the CEO of IronWood Group LLC. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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