Mining poses irreversible risks to the fragile hot springs network How the hot springs work The mountainsides on the north side of Glenwood Springs are topped with a thick layer of limestone, the Leadville Limestone formation. Laid down about 350 million years ago, the limestone was uplifted some 50 million years ago to form the
New Federal Bills Would Prohibit Mine Expansion On July 22, 2026, Third District Congressman Jeff Hurd and Colorado’s two U.S. senators, Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, introduced companion bills in Congress to flat-out prohibit the expansion of what’s officially known as the Mid-Continent limestone quarry. News! The Senate bill, S. 5101, is scheduled for a
The limestone quarry is mothballed, but Rocky Mountain Industrials continues to seek a new mining permit. On May 29, 2026, the company submitted a Modified Plan of Operations to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). On June 26, 2026, BLM Colorado River Valley Field Manager Lisa Dawson announced that the submitted plan is complete.
Mine Expansion Proposals, 2019 and 2026 and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Determination of Common Variety (DCV) report The New 2026 Mine Expansion Proposal: 56 acres Rocky Mountain Industrials submitted a new mine expansion proposal the the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on May 29, 2026. Expansion of the permitted 15.7-acre quarry to
Glenwood Springs Citizens’ Alliance vs. U.S. Bureau of Land Management 2024 case over BLM withholding documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act The Glenwood Springs Citizens’ Alliance is seeking a federal court order to compel the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to release important documents related to the limestone mine. Suit filed as
BLM Determination of Common Variety report (2024) and U.S. Dept. of Interior Decision (2025) Determination of Common Variety On Jan. 31, 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management released its long-awaited Determination of Common Variety report for the Rocky Mountain Industrials limestone mine. The Determination report, or DCV, shows that the majority of RMI’s limestone
The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety has regulated operations at the limestone quarry since it was first opened by Mid-Continent Resources in 1982. The quarry continues to be recognized by the state agency as the “Mid-Continent Quarry.” The agency requires quarterly reports from the mining company, conducts inspections at the mine site at
View of the Rocky Mountain Industrials limestone quarry. The rockslide occurred on the western / left side of the quarry. Photo by the Glenwood Springs Citizens’ Alliance, May 16, 2023. Use this page to access the geotechnical report prepared by Kilduff Underground Engineering Inc. of Denver for Rocky Mountain Industrials (RMI). The report was submitted
Massive Slope Collapse at Limestone Quarry; Enforcement Actions Ensue Around 3 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2023, a massive slope collapse struck the Rocky Mountain Industrials (RMI) limestone quarry. The collapse caused a rockslide about 300 feet wide. It brought boulders and huge slabs of limestone tumbling down onto the mined slope below. A person in
Mining operations at the Mid-Continent Quarry have not complied with county or federal permit requirements for more than a decade. Because the quarry is on federal public land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), it is regulated by BLM as well as by Colorado state government and Garfield County. When Rocky Mountain