Clean Energy, Community & Commitment:
What reclamation of the Cross-Caribou Mines means for Nederland, Colorado
A message from our CEO
"We owe it to ourselves and future generations to base decisions on facts, fairness and mutual respect, so my sole aim with the Cross-Caribou Mines project is to implement sustainable improvements that benefit residents, local businesses and Colorado’s broader economy."
I joined ACRG in September 2023 with a passion for social and environmental progress and responsible resource development. My focus is to clean America while rebuilding America, and it’s guided by three core principles:
- Upholding the highest standards of environmental stewardship
- Fostering economic development and prosperity
- Building respectful, transparent relationships with local communities
Because I believe in long-term environmental stewardship and community respect, my focus extends beyond compliance and economic contributions and seeks to forge a collaborative, productive path forward for all partners. In turn, I welcome dialogue – whether through site tours, data sharing or collaborative planning – because transparency is essential, and ACRG stands ready to partner with regulators and community stakeholders alike.
The Cross-Caribou Mines project is not about short-term profit. It is about building a sustainable, responsible operation that benefits Nederland and the greater Colorado region. This is why ACRG continues to address historical issues, whether tied to prior mining practices or more recent challenges, and remains committed to the stringent standards set by Colorado’s Division of Reclamation and Mine Safety (DRMS).
To local officials, neighbors, and state representatives: Let’s work together so the Cross-Caribou Mines can become a symbol of innovation, opportunity and best-in-class reclamation.
Sign the petition
Each signature underscores our shared commitment to collaboration, fact-based decision-making, and mutual respect—values that ensure Nederland’s environment, heritage, and economic future remain vibrant for generations to come.
News and updates
More news will be coming soon. Stay tuned.
FAQs
Community Questions, Honest Answers
The Colorado DRMS required all mining operations to consolidate environmental and operational responsibilities into a single comprehensive permit.
- No mill is currently operating onsite.
- No active mine tailings.
- No acid mine drainage (AMD) problems.
- Water treatment systems in place.
- Reclamation of legacy dumps.
- Possible mill construction (pending future review).
- Safe waste-rock reuse projects.
- Quarterly open houses and tours.
- Community Advisory Group formation.
- Public advisory website and feedback form.
- Governed by Clean Water Act and Colorado Water Quality Control Commission.
- Regular water sampling, wet testing and reporting.
- The principal metals are silver, gold, lead, zinc and copper.
- Nederland itself is surrounded by literally hundreds of millions of tons of mineralized ground and dozens – if not hundreds – of mines because it's in the heart of the Colorado mineral belt.
- Over the course of the past five or six years, Grand Island Resources LLC has already invested more than $20 million in the Nederland community.
- That investment came during a period when the company was not revenue positive. If a company not generating revenue invested $20 million back into a community, imagine what we will do once we are thriving.
- “I will be very involved in the development of [ACRG’s] corporate social responsibility plan, and I don’t envision us thriving while our community suffers. That will not happen under my watch,” ACRG CEO Tawana Bain told participants during the April 8 town hall in Nederland.
- Let's say you have your house on a lot, and you also own the lot next door and the lot behind it. The county comes to you and says, ‘We've updated our zoning code, and you can't have these lots separated like this.”
- It doesn’t matter that you have no plans to change your house or to do anything different with any part of the property, the updated code requires you to file for a lot consolidation, placing all three parcels into one lot.
- Nothing in your house has changed, and nothing on the ground has changed, but you've drawn a new, bigger line around everything you control. That's what we've done here.
- The state came to us and said, “We want you to convert this to a Designated Mining Operation (DMO), and we want you to wrap in everything that’s your responsibility in this area.”
- The actual mining footprint remains the same at 9.9 acres. All we’ve done is draw this bigger boundary on the map.
- Lakewood, Colo.-based American Clean Resources Group (ACRG) is in the process of acquiring Sustainable Metal Solutions LLC, the parent company of the Cross-Caribou Mines’ current owner, Grand Island Resources LLC (GIR).
- GIR purchased the Cross-Caribou Mines from miner Tom Hendricks in 2017, and ACRG will become GIR’s parent company once the acquisition is complete.
- In February 2025, GIR received its completeness letter after it petitioned the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) to upgrade its Cross-Caribou Mine permit from a limited-impact 110B designation to a 112D Designated Mining Operations (DMO) to enhance its operations.
- ACRG CEO Tawana Bain has stated publicly that she anticipates that the redesignation will strengthen operational capabilities and enhance environmental stewardship for Sustainable Metal Solutions LLC.
- There has been discussion of creating an advisory group made up of residents, business owners and ACRG/GIR team members to keep the project collaborative and transparent.
- ACRG is actively accepting recommendations from the community to help identify candidates to serve on the independent, non-biased advisory committee.
- Anyone with a solid recommendation is asked to email the candidate to morgan@acrgincorp.com.