Legacy Environmental Issues

The Pioneer Mining District at Rico, like other mining districts in the mountains of Colorado and other places in the Western US, bears the legacy of past mining practices which occurred at a time when our emerging industrial civilization was hungry for abundant sources of metals at low cost, without regard to the environmental consequences. In some cases, this legacy has resulted in existing problems that are impossible to completely solve, at any reasonable calculation of cost vs. benefit.

Just as other technology has evolved since the 1869-1971 time period of past mining at Rico, so has mining engineering, mining and process technology, and the environmental standards now applicable to mining. Additionally, beginning in the early 1970s, the passage of laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and a host of other environmental statutes, regulations, and interpretive court decisions have further strengthened regulation of mining and other industrial practices since that time.

Consistent with the requirement that a prospective purchaser complete all appropriate inquiries to avoid liability for past actions, Outlook Resources has commissioned an independent environmental firm to complete an Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment of the properties which it is acquiring in the Rico area in order to more fully understand the legacy issues involved.

Additionally, ARCO, as corporate successor to former mine owner/operator Anaconda, has conducted a series of significant voluntary clean-up (VCUP) actions around the Pioneer Mining District and in the Town of Rico. One of these, the Rico-Argentine Tailings VCUP, relates to the property holdings that Outlook is acquiring in the Silver Creek area, and a link to that report appears below.

Voluntary Cleanup and Redevelopment Act Application for Argentine Tailings Site (10 Mb)

It is Outlook's understanding that ARCO is planning to continue addressing legacy issues related to the former Anaconda operations, most importantly the ongoing drainage of the St. Louis tunnel, in partnership with the Town of Rico through the North Rico nonprofit entity. A link to an overview report authored by ARCO appears below.

Using Semi-Natural Systems and a Watershed Approach for Mine-Related Water Clean-Up in Rico, Colorado

Outlook intends to cooperate with ARCO, other landowners, and the Town of Rico in the implementation of further environmental remedial actions that may be necessary to deal with these legacy issues.

Additional planned near-term safety and environmental measures planned by Outlook for its holdings in the Silver Creek area include:

Cleanup of the trash and debris on the Rico-Argentine Mine site;
Greater access control measures for the industrial area, capped tailings pile, and underground openings;
Development of a plan by an independent environmental consultant for long-term management of the Argentine Tailings VCUP area, including stormwater drainage maintenance, addition of supplemental cover material in areas where the cap has been disturbed by vehicle traffic, and other protective measures that may be indicated.
Implementation of measures for run-off and sediment control from waste rock piles.

For those who are interested in a deeper understanding of historic mining issues near Rico, view a report by Grayling Environmental on the town of Rico's website, which provides a great deal of detail: