Summary of Mining Plans of Operation in Colorado.
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Currently on file with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are 65 mining plans and notices filed by 15 companies and 5 individuals, encompassing a total estimated area of 1,336 acres of BLM-managed public land in Colorado. These plans and notices are filed on public land laden with gold, silver, copper and other precious metals and minerals worth billions of dollars. And these operations are only those on BLM lands, not on Forest Service lands, for which mining plans and notices are not entered into the government's LR2000 database that forms the backbone of this site. But whether the mines are on BLM or Forest Service land, none of the corporate revenue is reimbursed to the public. Instead, companies leave behind unfathomable amounts of waste. In 2001 alone, the industry dumped enough mercury nationally to fill a billion thermometers and arsenic in quantities that would pollute all public drinking water supplies for 350 years. In 2001, mines generated 45 percent of all pollution reported in the U.S. while accounting for just 0.36 percent of all industrial facilities.
| Quick facts about mining plans on BLM land in Colorado |
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• Acres of U.S. public land (BLM land only) under mining plans and notices, estimated: 1,336 • Foreign-owned corporations among top BLM land mine operators: 2 of 10 • Pollution from all US mining operations, ranking among all U.S. industries: : #1 in total toxic releases • Pollution from top 89 mines in US: 5 times pollution from entire U.S. chemical industry (3,600 plants) • Western water polluted by mine waste: 40 percent of Western headwaters • Proposed mining operations that have been blocked by the Department of Interior because they posed a risk to public health or the environment: None • Other land uses that supercede rights of mining companies to operate on public lands: None |
EWG analysis of data compiled by the Bureau of Land Management. |
Top Mining Plan/Notice Companies/Individuals on BLM land in Colorado Ranked by Acres Affected
Companies have been consolidated to account for subsidiaries. View this table without consolidation.
| Company/Individual | Headquarters | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | Plan Date(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leadville Corp | Indianapolis, IN | 1 | 190 | 1985 |
| 2 | Kinross | World HQ in Canada | 1 | 173 | 1981 |
| 3 | Mining & Minerals II Ltd | Dallas, TX | 1 | 160 | 1984 |
| 4 | UMETCO Minerals Corp | Grand Junction, CO | 9 | 146 | 1981 to 1993 |
| 5 | Newmont Mining Corp | Denver, CO | 1 | 140 | 1989 |
| 6 | Noranda Expl Inc | World HQ in Canada | 1 | 140 | 1989 |
| 7 | Blue Jet Mining Inc | Craig, CO | 1 | 80 | 1984 |
| 8 | Jim Willschau | Monte Vista, CO | 1 | 79 | 1995 |
| 9 | Rocky Mountain Minerals | Canon City, CO | 2 | 75 | 1984 to 1986 |
| 10 | Lyle Ed Knisley | Canon City, CO | 2 | 75 | 1984 to 1986 |
| See all plan/notice holders in Colorado | |||||
Counties in Colorado Ranked by Acres Affected by Plans and Notices
| County | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saguache County | 5 | 402 | details | map |
| 2 | Moffat County | 2 | 240 | details | map |
| 3 | Lake County | 1 | 190 | details | map |
| 4 | San Miguel County | 13 | 139 | details | map |
| 5 | Montrose County | 16 | 131 | details | map |
| 6 | Fremont County | 6 | 110 | details | map |
| 7 | Dolores County | 2 | 45 | details | map |
| 8 | San Juan County | 6 | 26 | details | map |
| 9 | Conejos County | 3 | 12 | details | map |
| 10 | Chaffee County | 2 | 10 | details | map |
| See all counties | |||||
Examples of Mines in Colorado
| Name of Mine | Location of Mine | Mine Status | Metal Mined | Owner or Parent Company of Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cripple Creek & Victor Mine | Teller County, CO | Open | Gold | Anglo American |
| Henderson | Clear Creek County, CO | Open | Molybdenum | Phelps Dodge |
| Summitville | Rio Grande County, CO | Closed | Gold | Galactic Resources |
Source: EWG analysis.