A federal judge agreed on Tuesday the government has unreasonably delayed a years-long investigation into whether illegal mining is taking place near Glenwood Springs.
A federal judge is contemplating whether to allow Garfield County and a group of Glenwood Springs residents to proceed with their lawsuit against the federal agency that manages public lands,
The Rocky Mountain Industrials limestone quarry north of Glenwood Springs is officially on notice that it is operating outside the scope of its approved plan of operations, and has 30 days to correct the situation,.
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As part of our series “Digging Deep: What Does RMI Mean For Glenwood Springs?” Aspen Public Radio is looking at the origins of the company, its leaders, how its current financial path may be a familiar one and what one expert has to say about the company’s financial fate.
From Yearbooks to Limestone
Gregory Dangler and Chad Brownstein began what was originally called Rocky Mountain Resources in 2015 after co-opting another company named Online Yearbook that had existed for a few years already, according to Rocky Mountain Industrials’ 10-K SEC filing. That company was set up to develop and market digital yearbooks for schools, companies and government agencies. But not only did Dangler and Brownstein change the name from Online Yearbook to RMR Industrials, Inc., they also transformed the original company’s business plan into what RMI is today.
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Glenwood Springs sees nearly two million tourists a year, and that tourism is the base of the city’s economy. One of the main attractions in town is the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, where guests take the gondola up to explore caves, see the breath-taking views of the city and enjoy the rides. It sits on a mountain just east of the Mid-Continent Quarry where Rocky Mountain Industrials mines 40,000-60,000 pounds of limestone each year.
Despite guests being able to see the quarry from the gondola and certain points in the park, Steve Beckley, the owner of the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, said it was never a bother until Rocky Mountain Industrials proposed to expand its operations from 15.7 acres to 321.