Employees of both the New Horizon and the Colowyo mines can be especially proud of their operations, which received multiple awards and honors last week (April 15-17) at the Colorado Mining Association’s 116th National Western Mining Conference & Exhibition held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Both mines are owned and operated by Western Fuels-Colorado, a subsidiary company owned by Tri-State.
New Horizon Mine, which supplies Tri-State’s Nucla Station, was honored for safety, reclamation and environmental practices.
The National Western Mining Conference attracted nearly 1,000 attendees from throughout the mining industry and 110 exhibitors, including the ‘Keep Electricity Affordable’ campaign booth. The three-day mining event featured industry experts providing their views on the many challenges and opportunities facing the industry.
At the conference, Lee Boughey, senior manager of communications and public affairs, provided a presentation on Tri-State, its subsidiary mining operations and the importance of coal in Tri-State’s energy mix in assuring that the G&T continues to provide affordable power to its member systems.
Both Tri-State and Western Fuels-Colorado served as premiere sponsors of this year’s mining conference.
Tri-State’s Lee Boughey provided a presentation on the association’s fuel supply operations at the recent CMA mining conference in Denver.
The New Horizon Mine (Nucla, Colo.) was among the facilities recognized by the Colorado Mining Association (CMA) and the Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining & Safety to receive top honors for “Outstanding Reclamation.” “This mine achieved remarkable success in reclaiming multiple coal exploration sites in western Montrose County,” stated a recent CMA press release.
New Horizon Mine was also selected by CMA and the state of Colorado for its outstanding safety practices in 2013. The mine received a safety award in the “small surface coal mine” category for its employees working without a lost-time accident since Sept. 10, 2010 over a total of 184,828 man-hours. CMA also presented New Horizon Mine with an Environmental Stewardship Award for its many efforts in recycling, waste management practices and other initiatives at the mine that go beyond industry requirements.
At Colowyo Mine (near Meeker, Colo.) individual employees were recognized by CMA and the state of Colorado for five safety innovation awards. These innovations included installing bright reflective flags on salt bins during snow removal to increase visibility and mine safety (Dennis Cook), brackets installed on backhoes to secure shovels and other equipment (Donnie Kendall), implementing safer tow ropes (Gary Anderson), as well as installing solar flashing lights in foggy areas (Steve Bergquist) and on conveyer belts (Tim Wheeler). Colowyo Mine’s Robert Everette was also honored for working 30 years at the mine with no lost time accidents.
Second from left to right (after Duane Richards, CEO of Western Fuels Association), are Colowyo’s Tim Wheeler, Steve Bergquist, Gary Anderson and Dennis Cook, who received safety innovation awards. Last on the right is Bruce Wasserman with the state of Colorado.
In the awards category for environmental stewardship, the Colowyo Mine again won recognition for its variable topsoil replacement program, which aids in reclamation and the mine was also recognized for its use of “emission compliant” engines in its bulldozers that reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
At Trapper Mine (Craig, Colo.), a cooperative-owned facility whose members include certain participants of Craig Station’s Yampa Project, including Tri-State, this surface mining operation earned praise for an aggressive recycling program and for developing technologies to reduce water use.