Mitt Romney, presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States, put Craig, Colorado on the map and his appearance there at a May 29 rally demonstrates that energy policy will play a major role in the 2012 election campaign.   Addressing a crowd of 1,500 enthusiastic miners, families and friends of coal, Romney took aim at the Obama Administration's "all of the above energy policy," which ignores resources like coal that are "below the ground."   Romney promised an "all of the above and below the ground energy strategy." CMA helped coordinate attendance at the event.   CMA President Stuart Sanderson also had the opportunity to participate in a private roundtable discussion with the candidate prior to the rally.

To see photos of rally, click here 

Read the News Release 

COLORADO BACK IN THE TOP TEN FOR NOW, BUT OUTLOOK IS GUARDED  

     Coal production increased by 6 per cent to 26.8 million tons in 2011, moving Colorado up two notches to 9th place among coal producing states, according to the Colorado Mining Association's 2011 Coal Production and Employment Report.   Employment also increased by 13 per cent due to a new mine opening in southern Colorado; average wages and benefits for 9 of the 10 state's coal mines increased to $115,000 annually, a record.   But overall production trends are down.

     Colorado coal production has fallen nearly 30 per cent since 2005 and the near term outlook is guarded.   Click HERE to download the CMA News Release and 2011 Colorado Coal Report.

CMA AND WYOMING PETITION SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW ROADLESS RULE

     CMA and the state of Wyoming filed separate petitions asking the United States Supreme Court to review and strike down the United States Department of Agriculture's Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which bans road building or other maintenance activities essential to mining and other resource development on 58.5 million acres of public lands, and more than 4.2 million acres in Colorado.   In its petition for a writ of certiorari filed May 17, CMA contends that the Roadless Rule "is a sweeping usurpation of the authority vested solely in Congress to designate lands as wilderness."   To read the news release announcing the filing, please click here.   

Senes Consulting LTD.

Steve Brown 

Director Colorado Operations 

8310 S. Valley Hwy.

Englewood, CO 80112 

Tel: 303-524-1519

Email: sbrown@senesusa.com

SENES Consultants Limited is a wholly Canadian-owned company that specializes in the fields of energy, nuclear, and environmental sciences. Since its inception in 1980, the company has participated in over 4,800 projects throughout Canada, United States, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Australia, Europe, Asia, SENES established an office in the Denver area in 2008 providing a broad range of radiological and related engineering services to the Uranium mining industry in the US and internationally.

     Today the Joint Legislative Audit Committee heard the results of a Performance Audit of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The audit had been requested by legislators responding, in part, to concerns raised following adoption of HB 10-1365, ensuing litigation, and separate inquiries by the Independent Ethics Commission.

     "Given the limited administrative oversight of PUC actions, it is important that the Commission have sufficient controls and processes in place to ensure that the Commissioners comply with all state requirements and that their actions are transparent to the general public."

     The Audit found that statutory disclosure requirements concerning private communications between Commissioners and interested parties were not always adhered to, making it difficult for the public to know of the issues being discussed and provide the public with sufficient information to assess the appropriateness of the discussion. Specifically, the Audit hit three areas: failure to file disclosures in a timely manner; failure to consistently disclose affiliation of individuals present during private meetings, and failure to disclose e-mail communications. As the Audit observed, "Entire discussions of relevant topics can be had via email as easily and conveniently as they can face to face." Undisclosed e-mail communications were the basis for litigation CMA filed following enactment of HB 10-1365.

     The Audit found similar deficiencies in the PUC's travel practices, which failed to include policies to ensure that Commissioners obtain required travel authorization from the Department or in some cases, the Governor's Office, approval of travel reimbursement, and demonstrate Amendment 41 compliance for travel paid for by third parties.   The issue of third-party sponsored travel, in fact, provided the genesis for the Ethics Complaints filed.

     The PUC responded to the Audit by agreeing to adopt new procedural rules. The full report can be on the State Auditor's web site for reports released in June 2012.

• Monday, June 18: Water Quality Committee meeting at 9:30 am CMA office. 
• Friday, July 6: CMA Education Foundation "All About Mining" Graduation luncheon at Rolling Hills Country Club.   
• Friday, August 3: Annual CMA Golf Tournament at Legacy Ridge