Contact Mining asks county to tune Granite Road as tailings hauling resumes

Representatives for Granite Resources and Contact Mining told the Granite County commission on May 1 that they plan to resume hauling tailings to a nearby mill and asked the county to grade and make the Granite Road passable for daytime operation.

Roland Tonoli, identified as president of Granite Resources, said the company was starting initial haul runs and expected to scale up work over the summer. “We’re just planning on using the Granite Road,” Tonoli said, and described plans for signage, radios in trucks and hauling during daylight hours to reduce conflicts with tourists and recreational users.

County commissioners and staff discussed sending road crews to smooth and tune the road and noted crew availability will limit the timing. The chair said crews would look at the road toward the end of the week or the following week, if schedules allow. Commissioners emphasized that hauling companies must carry insurance and coordinate with county staff; mining representatives said insurance and communications were part of their plan.

Why it matters: Restarting hauling could introduce more heavy traffic on a county road that is currently non‑maintained in places, but commissioners argued the tax revenue associated with mining operations — including gross proceeds and metalliferous mine taxes — could offset maintenance demands.

What happened: After hearing from company representatives and a U.S. Forest Service ranger present for the easement discussion, commissioners agreed to authorize road staff to perform grading/tuning work to make the road passable and to coordinate further maintenance as needed; no formal binding contract was recorded in the meeting minutes, and crew deployment was left to road‑department scheduling.

Next steps: The county will coordinate with the mining firms on timing and signage; staff will determine the earliest feasible date to send a grader and report back to the commission.