Has anyone noticed 2.5 million dollars lying around the Gunnison Valley?

Has anyone noticed 2.5 million dollars lying around the Gunnison Valley?

You read the title correctly - no need to clean your glasses or rub your weary eyes.  Someone seems to have misplaced two and a half million bucks and we ought to help them find it.  Who, you ask?  Why the Mt. Emmons Project of course - our very own Thompson Creek Metals Company and US Energy.  You may have recently read about Thompson Creek’s one million dollar payment to US Energy at the end of 2008.  US Energy confirmed this payment in a January 12^th press release, saying:

“…the January 1, 2009 $1 million option payment was paid by Thompson Creek Metals Company USA on January 2, 2009 on behalf of Mt. Emmons Moly Company pursuant to the Exploration, Development and Mine Operating Agreement signed in August 2008.” 

Oddly missing from that press release was ‘the rest of the story.’  The rest of the story is that Thompson Creek’s agreement with US Energy goes beyond the simple payment of a million bucks a year.  (Simple for them maybe, but that’s another story…)  In fact, Thompson Creek is obligated to another $2.5 million each year in project expenditures.  The agreement says, in part:

“At any time before but no later than December 31, 2008, TCM shall incur at least $2,500,000 in Expenditures on or related to the Property.  … TCM may elect to pay to an interest bearing escrow account on or before a due date specified in Section 6.1(a) the dollar amount equal to any shortfall in Expenditures required to be completed by TCM by such due date in lieu of completing such Expenditures…”

US Energy’s January 12^th press release makes no mention of the fact that Thompson Creek was required spend $2.5 million on the Mt. Emmons Project during 2008 or put that amount away to make up for a shortfall.  It is also interesting to note the complete lack of any substantial work on the Mt. Emmons Project since Thompson Creek came to town.  New decals for the company trucks, fancy new baseball caps for their skeleton staff and a dormant website may have some costs, but surely not $2.5 million.  So the natural question is - where’s the rest of the cash?  In the unlikely event that someone finds that cash lying around, I’d suggest rushing it straight over to US Energy. 

In the perhaps more likely scenario that US Energy and Thompson Creek are playing shell games with their investors’ money and the future of the Gunnison Valley we should all take note of one more example of the Mt. Emmons Project hiding facts and intentions from the public.

USGS Snodgrass Geology Report Released – Comment Now

On Monday January 12, 2009, the US Forest Service (USFS) released a US Geological Survey (USGS) Report on Slope Stability on Snodgrass Mountain. The USGS report is intended to assist Forest Supervisor Charlie Richmond in deciding whether to accept the proposal by Crested Butte Mountain Resort to expand the ski area on to Snodgrass Mountain.

HCCA encourages anyone interested in the geology issue to submit comments by January 22nd. The time for providing public input is now! Comments to the Forest Service will be most effective if they address your geology concerns in your own words. HCCA has identified the following important topics from the USGS report:

The USGS report lists 5 specific analyses that need to be performed before the geology on Snodgrass and its possible consequences can be fully understood:

More deep boreholes and inclinometers are needed for slope stability analysis.

A longer period of record and more piezometers are needed to understand surface water and ground water interactions.

Additional stability analyses are needed.

Further analysis is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed drainage measures in reducing ground-water pressures and increasing slope stability.

Analyses are needed to assess the potential for landslides originating on Snodgrass to impact homes in proposed residential developments nearby

The USGS report lists potential risks to human safety, residential property and the environment that could be caused by landslides and debris flows:

Depending on the rate of movement, reactivation of one of these large landslides has slight to moderate potential for causing death and injuries.

Although debris flows are unlikely during ski season, they move rapidly and have great potential for causing deaths and injuries, as well as environmental degradation and property damage.

Debris flows also have great potential to move great distances rapidly, including from National Forest lands to neighboring proposed residential areas.

Please ask Charlie Richmond to postpone a decision on whether to accept a proposal until these studies have been completed and the geology issues resolved.

Please address your comments to:

USDA Forest Service
Forest Supervisor Charlie Richmond
2250 Highway 50
Delta, CO 81416

New Year, New Energy Goals - Obama’s national energy plans and local effects

New Year, New Energy Goals - Obama’s national energy plans and local effects

Proponents say that if implemented, Barack Obama’s New Energy for America plan has the potential to help improve the national economy, create millions of jobs, dramatically decrease pollution and allow us to pass on a healthy environment to future generations.

When it comes to electricity, there are three aspects of President-elect Obama’s energy strategy that would require a positive and dramatic shift. The new presidential administration plans on proposing that 25% of our electricity come from renewable sources by 2025 and that the United States becomes a world leader in fighting climate change, initially by re-engaging with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). Perhaps most significantly, the new administration plans on implementing an economy wide cap and trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050.

So what is a cap and trade program and how does it work? Sightline, a Seattle-based think tank defines it as a system that “enforces an economy-wide limit on greenhouse gas emissions; sets realistic goals for reducing emissions over time; and harnesses the creativity and dynamism of the market to achieve these goals." In simpler terms, the cap limits greenhouse gas emissions and the trade achieves environmental results at the lowest cost. This type of program is credited with dramatically reducing acid rain in the 1990s. The bottom line for coal-fired power plants is that their emissions will be “taxed” like never before and this formerly “cheap” energy source will become much more expensive.

How might you feel the effects here in the Gunnison Valley? Cap and trade programs may significantly affect the ability of Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) and Tri-State Generation and Transmission, GCEA’s electricity provider, to fulfill the part of their missions of providing their members (you) with affordable electricity. If Tri-State chooses to continue the pursuit of new coal-fired power plants using 20^th century technology instead of investing in energy efficiency, renewable energy technology and other zero- or low-emitting power plants, electricity users in much of Gunnison County over the long-run likely would be saddled with the increased rates for power that climate legislation would bring. Essentially, it is a near certainty that this new legislation will make old-style coal-based electricity more and more expensive as it assigns a cost to greenhouse gas emissions. In order to safeguard local consumers from increasingly expensive electricity bills, our electricity providers must look to the future and develop strategies to provide us with clean, efficient power and quickly implement local energy efficiency measures.

If you agree that moving away from dated technology like old-style pulverized coal fired power plants is essential to protecting both your long term financial well-being and the environment, you can help this effort locally in several ways. Write a letter to GCEA and Tri-State asking for more electricity produced from renewable sources and increased energy efficiency measures. A letter template is available on our website. You can also participate by attending monthly Alliance for Clean Electricity (ACE) meetings which alternate between Gunnison and Crested Butte. The time, date and location of the meetings are posted here. For more details and a list of how to take action or get involved, visit the Climate and Clean Energy page at www.hccaonline.org. Learn more about cap and trade by viewing the video about how this program defeated acid rain below -

(Video by Environmental Defense Fund)

Chris Menges,

Alliance for Clean Electricity and

Climate and Clean Energy Coordinator at

High Country Citizens' Alliance

HCCA is on Facebook!

High Country Citizens' Alliance has a Facebook page! Join us as a fan. CLICK HERE to go to our Facebook Page.

You do not need a Facebook account to view our page.

Once on our page, please register to setup your account, become a fan and add some photos of your favorite spots or people in the Crested Butte area or perhaps some photos of your Red Lady Prayer flags hanging. Please feel free to start a conversation about an environmental or conservation issue or become a member of the' Cause' to Save Red Lady (see bottom of our page for the cause tab).
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Show us your Red Lady Prayer Flags!

Red Lady Prayer Flags Project

Red Lady, or Mt. Emmons, is the sentinel peak of Crested Butte, Colorado. Visible from anywhere in town, it lies at the western end of Elk Avenue. One mile outside of the town’s boundaries, it is the place where the sun and the moon set. It is also a favorite place for skiing, hiking and seeing boundless wildflowers. At its base is the source of our drinking water – Coal Creek. It is home to elk, black bear, deer, lynx, mountain lion and a myriad of other, smaller creatures living in the old growth spruce, fir and aspen forests that blanket its ridges and valleys.

The Lady has a looming threat, however. Mining companies are proposing to open a massive scale molybdenum mine on the mountain. The Red Lady Prayer Flags are a symbol of the fierce opposition to such a proposal. Pins on the map below show where those who oppose a mine on Mt. Emmons have hung their flags
Click on the map below to add the locations of your flags.

Prayer Flags Map FAQ

Q. I tried to place my flag pin, but an alert said I have to leave a message. What does this mean?
A. You need to add some kind of description in the field labeled message, such as the flags’ location. The message can be a description of your flags, their location or anything you’d like to say about Red Lady.

Q. The map doesn’t show streets or street names. How do I make them appear?
A. Two things can affect whether or not the streets are labeled. One is the zoom level – you may have to zoom in to show streets and street names. The other is the type of map selected. In the upper right hand corner of the map you can select map, satellite or hybrid. Only the hybrid mode will have the satellite image with overlaid street names.

Q. I tried to go back and edit my flag pin, but the program wouldn’t allow editing access. How can I change the location and/or description of my flags?
A. The program allows you 1 hour after first placing your flag pin to edit or delete your pin before it becomes permanent. Any changes to the location or description of your flag have to be made within this time. If you would like to have a flag location removed please send an e-mail to dan@hccaonline.org.

Q. I want to add a photo to my flag pin. How do I do that?
A. After choosing the location of your flags by clicking on the map fill in the test fields then click on the “Choose File” button to select a .jpg file with your desired photo. Recommended photo size is 600 by 400 pixels or smaller.

Q. How do I see a list of all of the prayer flags on the map?
A. Click on the “Message Board” link below the map to see a list of all of the pins, messages and photos.

Q. I have a question not answered here. What do I do?
A. For answers to questions not listed here send and e-mail to dan@hccaonline.org.

Red Lady Changes with the Seasons

Watch this photo time series taken from the historic Crested Butte Train Depot

HCCA's Annual Meeting is Friday, December 12, 2008

High Country Citizens' Alliance will host their annual meeting on Friday, December 12, 2008 from 5:30 to 8 PM at the Pump Room in Crested Butte. The Pump Room is located upstairs in the fire station at 306 Maroon Avenue. Bring a dish, enjoy the potluck dinner and vote for HCCA's board members and president. By attending and voting, you'll support your local environmental non profit's efforts to stop a mine on Mount Emmons, conserve public lands, keep our water clean and promote clean energy. For more information, view the event poster by Clicking Here.


Schedule
5:30pm - Holiday Potluck Dinner
6:30pm - Board Elections, Volunteer of the Year, Report on 2008
7:00pm - Keynote Speaker Roger Flynn

About Roger Flynn
Roger Flynn is the Director and Managing Attorney of Western Mining Action Project in Lyons, Colorado and Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado School of Law and University of Wyoming College of Law. He serves as the lead attorney for HCCA on all Mt. Emmons issues. Mr. Flynn will discuss the tools and strategies needed to wage a successful campaign to protect communities and environmental quality from the impacts from industrial mining operations. He will focus on the key areas of citizen involvement in the mine permitting process, with an emphasis on the federal and Colorado state regulatory system applicable to the proposed Mt. Emmons molybdenum mine.