Dear Editor,

Many people don’t realize the statue in front of the Boulder County Courthouse is Tom Hendricks, the legendary hard rock miner of the historic Cross and Caribou Mines. As the first President of Grand Island Resources, Hendricks placed a sign at the entrance of the Cross Mine that read, “Mining with respect for the environment.” We continue forward with his legacy of responsible mining with the utmost respect for Boulder County’s land, water, and people.

Recent tests of our new water treatment system indicate we are now in full compliance with the very stringent aquatic life water quality standards. The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) has determined Grand Island Resources has made “good faith efforts” to put a new treatment system in place and resolve any issues. We are working closely with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to complete our implementation, testing and approval of the new water treatment system.

In a recent public meeting on 1-25-22, officials from Boulder County acknowledged Grand Island Resources is cooperating with the county and state regulators to provide documents and ensure compliance with all our applicable regulatory requirements.

The Cross and Caribou mines are not in the watershed containing Nederland’s drinking water intake. No cross-connection has ever been found between the Eldora watershed groundwater and the Coon Track Creek/North Beaver Creek watershed.

This is supported by the hydrogeologic and geochemical expert who provided sworn testimony before the Mined Land Reclamation Board (MLRB) on 12-15-22, that:

A treatment system is in place that will prevent future violations of standards.

Contamination of local groundwater from mine surface water discharges is impossible due to local hydrogeology.

The violation of discharge standards does not mean that harm has occurred to human health or the environment. No harm has been demonstrated, only technical violations of stringent standards that have a built-in substantial margin of safety.

There has never been a valid reason in the 50-year modern history of the mine for someone in Nederland or Boulder to fear for their health due to mine water management. Instead, discussion of the mine’s violations is being driven by individuals who are spreading misinformation and lies about the real and potential harm.

Our critics should have taken the time to learn about us and the state-of-the-art technology we have installed to clean up the mine and to make it safer for all. This is something all of Boulder County can support.

Grand Island Resources worked together with mining legend Tom Hendricks and is taking his initiative to the next level, operating a clean, safe and environmentally conscious hard rock mine in Boulder County. We look forward to working with State regulators, the County, the City of Boulder, the Town of Nederland, its residents, and all of our Boulder County neighbors to complete Tom’s mission of “Mining with respect for the environment.”

Daniel Takami 

President of Grand Island Resources, LLC