In 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management saw a reclamation project to completion in Colorado.
The purpose of the project is to protect the Dolores River by addressing issues with sedimentation near the historic Burro Mines Complex located in San Miguel County, Colorado. The mines were operational on an on and off basis between 1948 and the 1980s.
The project was mostly aimed at addressing the presence of waste-rock piles that were associated with three uranium mines in the complex. The piles have been washing away county road pavement into the river. Severe storms in 2007 and 2014 saw this happen on an especially severe basis. LM staff observed the damage and proposed a reclamation project.
Deborah Barr, LM's Uranium Leasing Program manager, was pleased with the work that was completed at this site and it is reported that the work was completed ahead of schedule.
“The Burro Mine Complex reclamation project has successfully met LM’s goal of protecting the river and was conducted safely -- a win for the environment, LM, local communities, and all the collaborative agencies involved in the reclamation project,” Barr said in a release.
LM worked with several different agencies to complete the project. This included federal, state, and local agencies with various responsibilities surrounding conservation.
