Grand Island Resources, with mining property near Nederland, received a Notice of Violation and a Cease and Desist Order on Friday, November 5, 2021.

According to Kelly Morgan with the Colorado Water Quality Control Division of the Department of Public Health and Environment, in a letter from Morgan to Grand Island Resources LLC, “Grand Island Resources LLC is hereby served with the Notice of Violation and Cease and Desist Order issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Water Quality Control Division.”

The findings state that Grand Island Resources LLC violated the Act and a discharge permit. Grand Island Resources LLC is required, within 30 calendar days of receipt of this, to submit to the Division an answer admitting or denying each paragraph of the Findings of Fact and responding to the Notice of Violation.

The Division is continuing its investigation into this matter and the Division may identify supplementary violations that warrant amendments of additional enforcement actions.

According to the Notice of Violation Finding of Facts, Grand Island Resources owns or operates the Cross and Caribou Mines, located at 4415 Caribou Road, near the Town of Nederland, Boulder County, Colorado. The Facility discharges treated wastewater associated with the Cross and Caribou Mines, which have produced gold, silver, copper, zinc, and lead.

Wastewater from the Cross and Caribou Mines is directed to a series of lined ponds. Discharge from the Cross Mine flows directly to Pond 1 where it is treated with lime addition and then directed to Pond 2. Discharge from the Caribou Mine is directed through a series of settling ponds and then directed to Pond 2. The combined mine water in Pond 2 is then discharged via pipeline to Coon Track Creek.

According to the notification of violation, based on the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, “Grand Island Resources is hereby notified that the Division has determined that Grand Island Resources has violated sections of the Permit.”

These included regulations for Effluent Limitations, Section 62.4, and the Colorado Discharge Permit System Regulations: “The permitted discharge shall not contain effluent parameter concentrations which exceed the limitations specified or that exceed the specified flow limitation.

“The permittee must monitor all effluent parameters at the frequencies and sample types. Such monitoring will begin immediately and last for the life of the permit unless otherwise noted.”

A letter to Grand Island Resources LLC in care of Richard Mittasch, Caribou Road, Nederland, on November 9, 2021, from Amy Eschberger, Environmental Protection Specialist, reported that on October 1, 2021, the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) mailed a Reason to Believe a Violation Exists and Notice of Board Hearing letter regarding the Cross Gold Mine. This matter was scheduled to appear before the Mined Land Reclamation Board during its November 17 - 18 meeting, but the Formal Public Hearing will now be held during the December 15 - 16 Board meeting by a virtual ZOOM hearing.

Only parties to this matter and those who will be testifying may attend the meeting via ZOOM. All other interested persons may view the hearing via the Board’s YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCDrrAO8bIPFlOwce-yH1fWA.