Mt Taylor Mine Dec 2015 – End the Standby Game

Mt. Taylor Mine is now owned by Rio Grande Resources Corporation (RGR), a subsidiary of General Atomics Corporation. The mine was operated by Gulf Mineral Resource Company from 1980- 1985 and by Chevron Resources Company from 1985-1990, before the mine ceased production altogether.

RGR has now requested a Standby – Return to Operations Permit.

Mine owners have requested 3 Standby periods since the New Mexico Mining Act was enacted in 1993. RGR applied for its third Standby permit revision in 2010. MASE appealed the 2010 Standby permit revision that was granted by the Mining & Minerals Division (MMD), based on MMD’s failure to allow meaningful public participation.

A New Mexico district court agreed and ordered MMD to conduct further public hearings. A new public hearing was held in May 2015. Rio Grande Resources has postponed cleanup by continuing to request Standby Permits including its most recent request in 2014 for their final Stand-by Permit and at the same time requested a new Standby Permit – Return to Operations.

Read the entire Fact Sheet 15.12 Fact Sheet Mt Taylor