【SMM Flash News】 Colorado Completes Year-Long Project to Extinguish Century-Old Smoldering Coal Waste Pile

Published: Apr 12, 2026 23:12

Save

The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) has announced the completion of the Corley Mine Surface Burn Mitigation Project near Florence, ending a nearly year-long effort to extinguish a 9.5-acre smoldering debris pile. The project was fast-tracked in May 2025 after internal temperatures in the century-old coal waste surged to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, posing significant environmental and fire risks. Crews excavated approximately 82,000 cubic yards of coal waste and carbonaceous shale, cooling the material with water and gravel before burying the stabilized remnants under 164,800 cubic yards of dirt and rock. This successful mitigation addresses a spontaneous combustion issue that had persisted for two decades, securing the site against future ignition.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

2 hours ago

Spot aluminum suddenly plummeted, while transactions were overall satisfactory [SMM South China Aluminum Spot Daily Review]

2 hours ago

Baotou Zhenxiong Copper Co., Ltd. invites you to attend the 2026 SMM (2nd) Northern Cable Industry Conference

2 hours ago

4 hours ago

Spot liquidity was weak while premiums remained firm; morning trading sentiment recovered [SMM Yangshan spot copper]

4 hours ago