The mining industry of Colorado has come to a grand brink in South Park. For those who are unfamiliar, South Park, Colorado is not just a cartoon with foul mouthed kids. It’s an actual place within a region rich in wilderness, beauty, wildlife, and natural resources. The name “South Park” refers to a sequence of high country plateaus linked through the spine of the Rocky Mountains through a widening breach of expanded terrain related to the Rio Grande Rift system. The result is a chain of high altitude basins, similar to the Alti Plano of South America, bound by rims of spectacular mountain ranges, some of which are at an elevation above 14,000 feet elevation. This type of regional deformation lifts the massive hard rock ranges relative to the dropping basins and exposes the roots of highly mineralized systems to within the mineable reach of the surface.
Problem:
South Park residents (and likely the Park County Commissioners) do not realize or appreciate or comprehend the role of these deposits as strategic resources to our economy on a national level. Park County is in the throes of spill-over from the ski-industry of nearby Summit County and is allowing applicants for Conditional Use permits to build residential homes on historically mined and strategic resource deposits – deposits that have been defined by the U.S.G.S. and Colorado State Geological Surveysas mineralized provinces. In Park County’s Land Use Regulations, a single family residence is permitted on mining zoned properties for the purposes of allowing care takers and managers of mining properties to live on the premise, but under this loop hole, families like Joe Schmoe and his kids from the city are acquiring mining zoned properties and building residential homes to live their daily lives on so they can go skiing nearby. Not a good idea. Mineralized areas are not only strategic for resources, but the background minerals are often harmful to humans in direct daily contact – minerals like mercury, thallium, arsenic, uranium and other toxic minerals that occur naturally within mineralized provinces in Park County.
Here are some immediate issues with this lack of foresight:
The mineralized areas of Park County are currently and specifically designated as strategic mineral resources in numerous USGS as well as Colorado Geological Survey publications. At recent Park County Commissioner’s Conditional Use Permit hearings their geologic analyst stated that “there was no mineralization”. Unfortunately, the geologist who wrote reports in support of the recent applications for Conditional Use permits is either greatly misinformed, out of touch with modern resource estimates, or simply not qualified for this type of analysis. There are many types of geologists and many levels of accreditation and if you don’t hire a geologist who specializes in this type of analysis, then you are not likely going to get an accurate estimate of the mineral potential. He did not provide any evidence to support his rebuttal of what the USGS and Colorado State Geological Surveys have already defined in numerous studies and publications other than his personal opinion. For example, what kind of testing, assaying, drilling, etc. was done to determine that there was no mineralization? This is an example of “a guy yammering about something way over his head.” This geo is way out of his league and getting away with this pontification based on the lack of fact made available to the county Commissioners.
Meanwhile, here are some interesting facts available for the public (source, Jim Burnell, Ph.D., R.P.G. Minerals Geologist of the Colorado State Geological Survey):
The need for strategic minerals is not new and is not a result of Bush administration. The first time the United States felt a crunch for natural resources was in 1918 at the end of WWI. Our country basically ran out of material for making things like guns, trains, ships, lighthouses, canals, jetties, navigation channels, and roads. The US recognized security threats way before Homeland Security existed and we created the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to address our internal infrastructure. One thing became immediately evident was lack of resources. This need instigated a legacy of Federally derived legislative acts for the evaluation of our strategic mineral reserves, including:
- 1938 — Naval Appropriations Act
- 1939 – Strategic Minerals Act
- 1940 – Reconstruction Finance Corp created to acquire & transport materials
- World War II Era: 1944 – Surplus Property Act authorized strategic materials stockpile
- Developed into the Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC)
- 1992 – Congress directed DNSC to sell off the bulk of their stockpiles.
As a result, we have an evaluation of what our country believes are strategic minerals necessary for our welfare and future interests, but we have been “selling off” the stockpiles, as people with lack of foresight are known to do from time to time.
Here is a list of some of the strategic minerals found in Colorado followed by our national dependency on foreign import:
Geologic Commodities: (Resource / % Dependency)
Alumina 100% dependency on foreign resource
Manganese 100% dependency on foreign resource
Antimony 86% dependency on foreign resource
Sheet mica 100% dependency on foreign resource
Arsenic 100% dependency on foreign resource
Nickel 60% dependency on foreign resource
Barite 83% dependency on foreign resource
Niobium 100% dependency on foreign resource
Bismuth 95% dependency on foreign resource
Platinum Group~90% dependency on foreign resource
Cesium 100% dependency on foreign resource
Rare Earth Elements 100% dependency on foreign resource
Cobalt 81% dependency on foreign resource
Rhenium 87% dependency on foreign resource
Fluorspar 100% dependency on foreign resource
Scandium 100% dependency on foreign resource
Gallium 99% dependency on foreign resource
Silver 55% dependency on foreign resource
Graphite 100% dependency on foreign resource
Tin 79% dependency on foreign resource
Indium 100% dependency on foreign resource
Titanium 82% dependency on foreign resource
Lithium > 50% dependency on foreign resource
Tantalum 100% dependency on foreign resource
Magnesium 57% dependency on foreign resource
Vanadium 100% dependency on foreign resource
Who is supplying these minerals to us? Long term friendly entities, right?
Primary Import Sources:
Aluminum: Guinea, Brazil, Australia, Jamaica
Barium/Barite: China
Chromium: Russia, Zimbabwe, South Africa
Cobalt: Russia, Canada, Norway
Gallium: China, Russia, Ukraine
Indium: China, Russia
Manganese: China, Gabon
Nickel: Russia, Canada, Australia
PGM: Russia, Ukraine, Canada, S. Africa
REE: China
Scandium: China, Russia, Ukraine
Tellurium: Central Africa
Vanadium: Swaziland, C. Africa
Those damn furriners! What this lists means in short is that the same kind of crunch Americans feel in the pocket now when it comes to, say, gas prices is going to be hitting us in the pocket for any commodity that has an on-off switch on it. Why? What the heck are these minerals used for and what has that got to do with me? I recycle. I drive a Subaru. I donate to Sierra Club. Check it out:
“Strategic” minerals are integral components of things like:
Alternative energy solar panels (photo-voltaic reactions)
Wind-generated power cells and batteries
Cell phones
Hi-definition transmission devices (TV and radios)
Liquid crystal displays, i.e. flat panels and screens (computer, TV, etc.)
Zip sticks (memory sticks)
Lap top computers
LEDs (light emitting diodes)
P.E.T.s – i.e. any recyclable type of plastic
All galvanized metals, including chrome plating on lovely Hummer bumpers and wheels
Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals (OK, I can live without make-up)
Surgical Stainless steel (got a metal pin or fake hip in your body? Need surgical instrumentation?)
Aerospace stuff
High-tensile and high impact resistant alloys, i.e. bullet proof anything
Mountain bikes
Consider this:
ALL alternative energy mechanisms require rare minerals to “make electricity from wind and the sun.” Power plants burn raw material to make electricity that goes into a massive network of copper wiring to get the electricity to your house so you can plug things in and recharge batteries. Yes, they do. Alternative-source power utilizes the reactive character of certain “strategic” minerals to make electricity to store in a battery that feeds the same massive network of copper wiring that leads to your house so you can turn things on and recharge your batteries.
The power plant emits CO2 and SO2 – bad. However, passive power consumes raw materials for panels and batteries, which comes from mining. Power plants takes up a certain amount of space and require so much raw material to make so much energy. Passive energy takes up 100% more space to produce a fraction of the same amount of energy. But, we hope to develop more efficient means of alternative power sources. Yes. And these sources will likely use some highly specialized minerals to do so: mined minerals, whether you like it or not.
In the meantime, most of us know the United States is the largest consumer of the planet’s energy and raw resources. So, yes, we need to get a grip on our consumption of natural resources. However, we are not the largest population in the world and we do not control what other countries choose to do. This is evident in past and recent international symposiums that address issues of global interest such as controlling deforestation of the rain forest, protection of endangered species, and simply protecting humans from themselves in the arena of human rights. Green House effects, carbon in the atmosphere, and consumption of natural resources fits in there somewhere on the agenda, I think before saving penguins and after abolishing human trafficking…
China and India are the upcoming largest populations of human beings this planet has ever hosted and they are consuming the same things we wealthy Americans are: SUVs, cellular phones, hi-def TVs, etc. (Dang it!) The demand from newly developing countries is impacting the supply and price of critical and strategic minerals. Global analysis of this situation warns us all that we not only need to curtail our consumption of resources, but that even with combined fossil fuels AND passive energy sources – there is not enough material defined on this planet to provide material for the looming resource crunch to come. (See previous blog: “Colorado National Mining Symposium“)
Full circle back to Park County in Colorado: Wake up!South Park has mineral resources that are not being evaluated for their potential nor for their strategic role our country’s critical dependency on foreign resources which is going to have an adverse affect on the price of things we use. The general public may not like the mining industry but today’s modern mining methods (such as the current in-situ uranium mining proposed for South Park) are not yesterday’s tragedy any more than heart surgery or cancer treatment was 25 years ago (as when Summitville occurred). Today’s mining is conducted under strict litigation and within confining regulations to ensue with the least impact and the most efficiency to harvest the resource and reclaim the land – which, BTW, I don’t think any ski resort has ever had to mitigate environmental impact or propose to reclaim the hundreds of thousands of acres of public land put to recreational use for the sake of capital investment and private profit.
What we need in South Park is for our County Commissioners to invite an industry specialist, such as the USGS or the Colorado Geological Survey to present the mineral resources as have been defined for this area by their respective departments of natural resources. Then, we need public support so these deposits can be located and utilized responsibly rather than allowing Joe Schmoe to build his family’s dream house on, say, one of the County’s uranium or coal or gold deposits.
SOLUTION:
One of the things the Park County Commissioners could do is invite a USGS or Colorado State Geologist to provide an enlightening presentation on the reality of mineral resources in Colorado, specific to Park County as has been done for Gilman County and Lake County. That is these surveys’ job — that is why we fund public geologic surveys to collect and analyze factual information. In my experience the Park County Commissioners are reasonable people interested in the facts. That is why we have public forums. Let’s got to it. If anyone wants to participate in the Conditions Use Permits, or provide their own opinion — you can visit the Park County website and write a letter to the Park County Commissioners at:
{ 8 } Comments
Michele,
Being an ignorant slob (as far as this topic is concerned), I’ll take your post at face value. Of course, I know you to be a thoughtful, reasonable person, too. The recent hysteria over this country’s gas prices has had me thinking quite a bit about the other “stuff” that we pull out of the ground. With nearly 40% of the world’s population in China and India, two countries rapidly accelerating their economies, we are in for a rude awakening. Thanks for posting this. I’m a slightly-less-ignorant slob this morning.
Dear San Diego:
Were you really “thinking quite a bit about the other “stuff” that we pull out of the ground”? Cuz that’s pretty big thoughts for the Valedictorian of Hinkley High School, 1976. Miners don’t pull everything out of the ground you know. Sometimes we pull stuff outta our …. Good to hear from you and thank you.
Michele,
great article on a needed subject. I know first hand from our business, we’re a rare earth company, that china ( as the worlds only practical REE supplier) has not only greatly raised prices but is also restricting supply. In real terms, they own the worlds rare earth supply and control the market.
As you mentioned many new technology applications contain “strategic minerals” and we’re completely dependent on foriegn goverments for our supply of them. Not a very good idea in my book.
John:
China is reining in many of their exported strategic resources that the US (and other countries) have become reliant on, not just REEs. I just read a post about the government of Cotes D’Ivoire suspending taxes (ABIDJAN, 2 April 2008 (IRIN) – “Cote d’Ivoire’s government has announced emergency measures to cut prices of food and basic services following protests against the cost of living, but demonstrators have warned they are ready to go back on to the streets as soon as prices creep up again. The government has promised to temporarily suspend taxes on staple goods including rice, oil, milk, flour, sugar and fish, in a statement released on 1 April. “) due to rioting over the price of cost of living. I am not inferring that the US is headed to anarchy over the costs of resources coming down the pipeline, but I do see that the economic stress is going to make for severe consequences in less affluent and politically unstable countries.
What to do? Well, we have to keep yammering our story and try to get our own general public to see that our resources – and mining – are integral to our lifestyle. When our country does well, then other countries benefit as well.
Excellent article, Michele! Something every Coloradan/American should read. People need to understand that gas is not the only thing we are dependent on from foreign countries. I write this from my hotel in South America where I will work most of this year (instead of in Colorado/US) because they actually want to responsibly develop their resources here.
Thanks, Andrea and good to hear from you. I am glad you are back in the saddle in SA too. I’ve been in Mexico. As per all Coloradoans needing to read that article — South Park has me reeling. When I left, people were getting upset over the proposed in-situ uranium project down by Ranch of the Rockies. While I was gone a rancher arranged 32 buffalo to be shot for open-range grazing on his property and the shooters just left them there to rot, which has just sickened me. Land-use issues, State law vs County law, mining, ranching, and the wild west — it’s all right here.
I need to amend my condemnation of the geotechnical work done for Park County on some of these applications – at least from one of the geos who wrote one of the geotechincal reports. He said he “never condemned the mineralization potential of the property he was asked to evaluate”. In our conversation, he mentioned a point in fact: “the county can tell a guy the property is zoned mining and he can have permission to live there according to the current law, as outlined in Land Use Regulations. Having said that, it’s up to the guy to live under the threat of active mining next door or even on his property down the road.”
I do maintain that there are other geos who write technical reports for Park County who claim that there is no mineralization potential on mining zoned properties and whatever they need purport for the sake of their client without having to provide any study of the property. That said, the mining properties are being absorbed by the Conditional Use Permits in Park County, which makes for a loop hole in their no growth policy. These wilderness areas would have been mined and reclaimed and continued to be wilderness areas at a great economic benefit are now being developed into residential areas.
just an add-on to my earlier comment. In november I purchased 99% yttrium, from china of course, for $17.25 a pound. I priced it again last week and was quoted $25 per pound. Obviously, the chinese are doing quite well.
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