Tahne Corcutt to present The Beer2Clear® Initiative at international conference in Silverton, Colo.

Under the theme of “Changing Approaches,” her presentation will share information about supporting innovation through partnerships, creative financing mechanisms, and the Beer2Clear® proof of concept pilot project.

Topics of this year’s conference in Silverton, Colo. on Sept. 24 include artificial intelligence, beer ingredients, college student trainees, Good Samaritans, and Superfund sites. In its ninth year, the conference will be combined with field trips and the third annual Innovation Expo, bringing together diverse mining and reclamation experts from industry, government, nonprofits, and academia to develop solutions and partnerships while sharing insights and discussing the effectiveness of traditional and innovative approaches to cleaning up the environmental impacts of abandoned mines.

The morning keynote on Sept. 24 will be presented by Steven Cook, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since February 2018, and Chair of the Superfund Task Force since May 2018. Prior to the EPA, he was in-house counsel at LyondellBasell, a large, multi-national chemical and refining company where he oversaw the health, safety, environmental and security legal work on a global basis. The afternoon keynote will be given by Kelly Tucker, Environmental Programs Specialist in the EPA Office of Wastewater Management and Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund Program.
Morning presentations also include a comparison of voluntary vs. regulatory approaches to abandoned mine cleanup by Dr. Peter Butler of the Animas River Stakeholders Group. A panel discussion about Superfund legalities within historic mining districts will include attorneys John L. Watson of Spencer Fane, Paul Nazaryk of Ramboll International, Anthony Edwards of Sholler Edwards, and Stan Dempsey Jr. of the Colorado Mining Association.

Afternoon presentations consist of: a pilot project to address the water quality impacts of acid mine drainage with a passive mitigation treatment using spent brewers grain by Tahne Corcutt of the Beer2Clear Initiative; student projects providing on-the-ground, real-world experience in site assessment, monitoring, and stakeholder engagement for abandoned mine cleanup by Luke Danielson of the Western Alliance for Restoration Management; and the application of artificial intelligence and biomimicry to mine reclamation by Madeline Gonzalez Allen of IBM and InnoVital.

Also on Sept. 24, the Student Challenge Poster Session will be judged, displayed and scholarship awarded for the best entry demonstrating innovation solutions to acid mine drainage through integrated research, collaborative partnerships, or sustainable market opportunities. This session will include a networking happy hour with micro brewery beers.
On Sept. 25, conference organizers will guide field trips to abandoned mines and reclamation sites around the Silverton area, followed by a Lightening Talk in conjunction with StartUp Colorado featuring speed pitches by startups and entrepreneurs presenting their innovative ideas to industry leaders and experts. The evening will finish at Silverton Town Hall with a showing of “The Mine Next Door” documentary about the Idarado Mine’s history.

On Sept. 26, the Innovation Expo will be a full day of demonstrations and presentations related to mine reclamation innovation and best practices, treatment of mine drainage and waste, developing valuable products from mine water and waste materials, and new methods of monitoring, remote sensing and modeling. Presenters include experts from the University of Chile, Colorado School of Mines United States Geological Service, Fort Lewis College, and several engineering companies.
Event sponsors include Newmont Mining, Heritage, Linkan Engineering, and Ouray Silver Mines, as well as several companies, government agencies, associations, and universities. The Conference Committee for the 2019 San Juan Mining and Reclamation & Innovation Expo includes the Animas River Stakeholders Group, Headwaters Alliance, Mountain Studies Institute, San Miguel Watershed Coalition, and Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership.

For conference information, agenda and registration, please visit http://www.mountainstudies.org/expo. For more information on The Beer2Clear Initiative, visit https://www.beer2clear.co/.