Colorado Legacy Land – Schwartzwalder Mine (State of Colorado)

This site description was provided by the cognizant Agreement State, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) makes no claim regarding the validity of the information provided. See our Site Disclaimer for more information.

1.0 Site Identification

Type of Site:	Complex Materials
Location:	Jefferson County, CO
License No.:	CO 369-06
Docket No.:
License Status:	Active

2.0 Site Status Summary

The Schwartzwalder Mine is an inactive uranium mine previously owned by Cotter Corporation until early 2018. The site contains natural uranium ores and ore concentrates, mine dewatering solution and water treatment residual and sludge. The site is regulated under a mining reclamation permit issued by Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS). Cotter Corporation had previously terminated uranium mining operations at the mine and decommissioned all ore production related facilities. In addition, the site is currently authorized for treatment of uranium contaminated mine water under a Radioactive Materials License CO 369-06 (the License) issued by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment under the Agreement State authority. The License authorizes possession and storage of source material (i.e., the water treatment resin).

In 2016, the licensee requested to relocate the water treatment building to an adjacent location within the site and demolish the old water treatment building. This request was to allow for excavation of alluvial fill materials that may be contaminated with natural uranium, as part of the mine reclamation work under the DRMS permit. This request was approved and the License was amended on June 2, 2017. The decommissioning is required to meet the free release criteria in Part 4 of Colorado Regulations Pertaining to Radiation Control (the Regulations). To date, the licensee has not completed the decommissioning of the old water treatment building. In March 2018, the site, the DRMS permit and the License were transferred from Cotter Corporation to Colorado Legacy Land, LLC.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

Water treatment operations are being conducted continuously on site to remove uranium, radium and suspended solids from both the mine drainage pumped from the underground workings at the mine and surface water runoff, in order to improve the water quality in the Ralston Creek and meet the water quality standards.