A private land use consultant, Brian Kimble, addressed the Mancos town trustees last week regarding the impacts of the Red Arrow gold mill. He was especially uneasy about possible pollution that could result as environmental officials weigh remediation efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow fast are they going to respond?\u201d Kimble questioned trustees at their bimonthly meeting last Wednesday. \u201cThey\u2019ve known about this since June.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kimble said he has previously worked with various governmental agencies, and he understands the bureaucratic red tape that can arise. He hopes Mancos will keep pressure on agency officials, and he offered his expertise if needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here to offer any support or aid that I can,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not afraid to call and ask what\u2019s being done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayor Rachel Simbeck said the town\u2019s drinking water has not been impacted, citing the town\u2019s water is diverted upstream from the contaminated site.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe town will be involved,\u201d she said. \u201cWe will make sure the town\u2019s needs and interests are addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n
At last week\u2019s meeting, two handouts were distributed to residents, including an Aug. 28 memo from Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. DRMS officials stated in the memo that the agency does not believe the sites present an \u201cimmediate threat to public health or safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
DRMS and Environmental Protection Agency officials are expected to meet in coming weeks to further assess both the mining and milling sites to formulate a remediation plan, Simbeck said. She anticipates a community meeting will also be scheduled with the two agencies to discuss concerns and remedies.<\/p>\n
To help alleviate community fears, Trustee Chip Tuthill made a motion for the town to take all necessary steps to protect the town\u2019s public safety, including measures to recoup financial loses from Red Arrow gold mine that result from cleanup efforts. The motion passed by a 3-2 margin.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want the town to know that we are behind them 100 percent,\u201d Tuthill said.<\/p>\n
Voting against the measure were Trustee Rovilla Ellis and Mayor ProTem Perry Lewis, who questioned how the town could legally recover any out-of-pocket expenses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hesitant to rush into any decision,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have all of the information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Courtroom battle<\/p>\n
The illegal milling was discovered after District Court Judge Todd Plewe ordered Red Arrow gold mine assets into receivership in April.<\/p>\n
The property was closed in June when DRMS inspectors discovered the unpermitted milling operation was using mercury amalgamation with no environmental protection.<\/p>\n
Located just outside of Mancos town limits on West Grand Avenue, the mill-site property and warehouse is owned by William Boyd. Both buildings were leased to Craig Liukko, operator of the Red Arrow mine.<\/p>\n
Last month, DRMS fined Liukko $337,167 for operating a mill without a license and five other mining violations.<\/p>\n
Boyd\u2019s attorney, John Kelly, has filed an eviction order against Luikko, but Plewe stayed the complaint Friday because of new bankruptcy proceedings in Texas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is personal property that is stored in the building,\u201d said Kelly in a courtroom teleconference. \u201cWe aren\u2019t particularly pleased about storing that property for free.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kelly said up to $200,000 of personal property is currently stored on the premises, some of which is contaminated with mercury, he added.<\/p>\n
Boyd said he has been blocked from accessing his property.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had some plans for the site, but not anymore,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Based in Katy, Texas, He-Man LLC secured a $25 million commercial loan from Maximillian Investors LLC of Delaware to finance the Red Arrow gold mining operations near Mancos. He-Man LLC filed for bankruptcy on Friday, and until the bankruptcy case is disposed, Boyd is left in limbo.<\/p>\n
The eviction hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 8.<\/p>\n