Mining & Environmental Services LLC

Mining and Environmental Services (MES) provides both specialized contracting services as well as technical consultation. Projects include service to the mining and tunneling, transportation, and general civil sectors.

Typical MES projects include mine cleanup and closure, underground tunneling and tunnel repair, mine special projects, precision drilling and blasting, and rock/soil stabilization. MES also operates a wholly-owned subsidiary named Mountain Blasting Services, LLC.

MES has served as a technical resource on projects involving underground mine technical evaluation, sampling and/or mapping, for mineral resources, physical or subsidence hazards, and/or environmental evaluation at over 400 mine sites.

MES has served as a contractor for tunnel/mine/mill rehabilitation, closure, or cleanup work at over 150 sites.

This information pamphlet emphasizes MES underground contracting services. For more information on consulting and other services, please visit our website at www.minenv.com.

A Sampling of Recent Underground Projects by Mining & Environmental Services

Underground Tunnel Rehabilitation Dinero Tunnel, Lake County, Colorado

MES performed the recovery of a badly caved zone of the Dinero Tunnel in the Fall 2004 to allow underground access for adit drainage remedial action planning. This caved zone was actively unstable, with running ground connected to a surface subsidence feature above the collapse area. Recovery required intensive steel set and spiling work. This project was located at approximately 10,500 feet elevation above Leadville, Colorado.

Water Tunnel Rehabilitation St. John’s Tunnel, Teller County, Colorado

In November 2003 MES completed the design-build contract for the rehabilitation of a section of the St. John’s Tunnel. This project involved the challenge of rockbolting a 6' wide by 6.5' high tunnel, working around a 30" water line. The elevation was over 11,000 feet, on the south slope of Piles Peak. MES utilized the tunnel engineering firm of Shannon & Wilson as a design sub-consultant.

Water Tunnel Rehabilitation & Bulkhead Construction Tenmile Tunnel, Lake County, Colorado

MES was responsible for extensive rehabilitation of over 5,500 linear feet of 10' x 10' water tunnel, including spiling and steel setting to repair a severe collapse zone located under a tailings pond 200 feet above. Activities included extensive installation of ground control structures; demolition blasting of a 12' thick concrete bulkhead; blasting keyway cutout; construction of 18' thick concrete bulkhead with high-pressure door; and installation of drainpipes and automated valving. The property is near Leadville, Colorado at an elevation of 11,000 feet.

Water Tunnel Repairs Yak Tunnel, Lake County, Colorado

In 2002 MES was called in to perform and document an annual inspection and conduct rehabilitation in the Yak Tunnel. This is a high altitude Superfund site, located at approximately 10,500 feet above Leadville, Colorado. Subsequently, MES was awarded a multi-year tunnel maintenance services contract for repairs performed in 2003 and 2004, and continues with future repairs and maintenance.

Mine Tunnel Rehabilitation Summitville Mine Site Rio Grande County, Colorado

MES was awarded a multi-year services agreement for seasonal underground mine rehabilitation and maintenance of the Reynolds and Chandler adits. The Summitville Mine Superfund site is located in a remote area at high elevation. Work included removal of sludge, debris and muck from underground workings. and walkway replacement and re-timbering were undertaken as needed. Pipelines were repaired from plug to portal, and valving and pressure transducers were repaired / replaced.

New Decline Tunnel Installation Glenwood Caverns, Glenwood Springs, Colorado

A new road, tunnel portal and underground decline were constructed to provide safe tourist access to the historic caves above Glenwood Springs. MES provided survey, design and construction services. To access the cave, a 160 foot 8' x 8' tunnel was driven. A set of airlock doors was built in the tunnel so that there would not be a rapid change of moisture or temperature after the breakthrough into the caverns. The open karst cavities in the high-angled limestone beds were a challenging geologic environment in which precision blasting employed by MES protected the fragile and irreplaceable cave formations.