Trapper Mine will remain operational and continue to employ more than 180 people following the completion of a court-ordered environmental assessment.
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., released a statement Friday welcoming the Department of Interior’s announcement that the assessment had been completed by the April 30 deadline.
Gardner, along with Gov. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Colo., had sent a letter to the department in December urging them to complete the assessment in a “timely manner.”
They followed up with a second letter on April 6.
Trapper Mine’s permit was under the same environmental review by the U.S. District Court in Colorado when it declared Coloywo Mine in northwestern Colorado was deficient.
Trapper Mine, located in Craig, was initially thought to be unaffected by the decision, but a subsequent review led to negotiations between environmentalists and regulators that required an entirely new review be completed to more seriously consider its environmental impact.
“I join Northwest Colorado in welcoming today’s announcement, which will allow operations to continue at Trapper Mine and preserve the jobs and livelihoods that depend on it,” Gardner said in a statement Friday.
Natalie Munio: 303-954-1666, nmunio@denverpost.com or @nataliemunio
