Case Study: Discharge Permit for
Abandoned Mine Property
DGS attorneys are working on a unique approach for implementing water treatment and monitoring at an abandoned draining mine site in western Colorado. Our client is a former operator of the site, but does not currently own property in the area. DGS is working to establish and incorporate a non-profit entity, which will own the mine site, receive funding and other commitments from former site operators, construct and operate a water treatment system, and hold the discharge permit for the site. DGS attorneys are working with state regulators and local government personnel, facilitating land transfers, and negotiating cost sharing arrangements with current land owners and other interests to ensure the success of this project, and in hopes of avoiding federal regulatory intervention and enforcement action.