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May 7, 2026 | 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Davis Graham
3400 Walnut Street, Suite 700,, Denver, CO, 80205
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CEMS May 2026 In-Person Event
Mine Operation and Reclamation: A Panel Discussion and Networking Happy Hour
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Panel Discussion: 4 - 6PM at Davis Graham
Happy Hour: 6 - 7PM at Improper City
Please add any questions for the panelists when you register.
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Mining has a long history in Colorado, but its past history in the state has oftentimes been accompanied by long-standing environmental impacts. This panel discussion will be focused on the past, present, and future of mine operations, related environmental protections, and needs for reclamation. The presentations will be divided into two parts:
Part One: Legacy Environmental Impacts of mining activity. How these impacts are being addressed (often with substantial cost to taxpayers), and how these impacts have shaped today’s regulatory and permitting requirements. We will hear from speakers representing the State of Colorado Department of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS) and from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Superfund cleanup division.
Part Two: Mining Operations Today. How today’s mining operations in Colorado and elsewhere are planning for and implementing environmental protections and reclamation goals, while maintaining a successful commercial bottom line. We will hear from speakers representing Colorado’s SSR Mining and Newmont.
CEMS has applied for two (2) CLE credits for this presentation. Two (2) PDH hours are available for this presentation.
Panelists:
Rachel Blomberg, Newmont
 Rachel Blomberg, P.E. is a Closure Specialist for the Americas Business Unit at Newmont Corporation, where she supports mine sites across the region in developing and executing long-term closure strategies, life-of-asset closure cost estimates, and concurrent reclamation plans in alignment with corporate closure standards. She brings over 11 years of experience in environmental engineering, mining reclamation, and site remediation, with a strong emphasis on integrating technical, regulatory, social, and financial considerations into practical closure solutions.
Prior to joining Newmont, Rachel served as a Project Manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, where she led large-scale remediation and reclamation projects at abandoned mine lands and Superfund sites in close coordination with federal, state, and local stakeholders. A licensed Professional Engineer, she holds an M.S. in Hydrologic Science and Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a B.S. from Cornell University. Rachel is actively involved in professional leadership through the Colorado Environmental Management Society and is passionate about advancing collaborative, proactive approaches to mine reclamation and closure.
Jeff Graves, State of Colorado DRMS
 Director of the Inactive Mine Reclamation Program, Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety since 2016. Has been with the State of Colorado for 25 years investigating, designing and implementing mine reclamation projects as a Project Manager and Senior Project Manager. Project highlights include design and construction of multiple hydraulic seal bulkheads and underground rehabilitation projects at legacy sites in Colorado. Prior to employment at the State of Colorado, worked as a staff geologist for 2 geotechnical engineering firms in the Denver area. Has a Bachelors of Science in Geology from the University of Colorado and a Masters of Engineering in Geological Engineering, from the Colorado School of Mines. Past president of the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs. Spends free time mountain biking, paddleboarding and playing disc golf.
Joy Jenkins, US EPA
 Dr. Jenkins is currently the EPA Region 8 Mining Sites Lead Remedial Project Manager (RPM) in the Superfund Program. She is currently the lead RPM for the Bonita Peak Mining District site and previously has served as the RPM for the Captain Jack Mill and Nelson Tunnel Sites in Colorado and the Gilt Edge Mine Site in South Dakota. She currently leads EPA’s internal National Mining Team and is interested in advances in technologies for recovery of critical minerals during mining site cleanups. Joy worked as a consulting environmental engineer prior to joining EPA in 2010. She completed her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Environmental emphasis, at the University of Colorado Boulder working on source control measures to prevent acid mine drainage generation. Prior to obtaining her graduate degree, Joy worked as a chemist at 3M’s environmental testing and methods development lab in Minnesota. She completed her B.S. in biology with a chemistry minor from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
Kaitlyn Ragsdale, SSR Mining Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine
Kaitlyn Ragsdale is the External Relations Supervisor at Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine (CC&V), currently owned by SSR Mining. She has been at CC&V for seven years and is committed to fostering strong relationships, open communication, and responsible community engagement. Kaitlyn is passionate about helping build a sustainable future beyond mining, one that prioritizes environmental stewardship, economic resilience, and continued community vitality.
Moderator: Athena Jones, US EPA
 Athena Jones has been working on Superfund Sites with EPA Region 8 since 2020. Prior to joining the EPA, she earned her Master’s and Bachelor’s from the University of Miami in Florida in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She has led remedial action and Superfund redevelopment projects on her sites. Most recently she has collaborated with the Army Corps of Engineers to construct an operational mine waste repository at the Bonita Peak Mining District. The new facility will accept waste from around the site including treatment generated sludge from the Site’s water treatment plant for decades. When she is not on site she can be found enjoying the Colorado outdoors or traveling to new places.
Location for Panel Discussion: Starting at the law offices of Davis Graham LLP, 3400 Walnut Street, Suite 700, Denver, CO, 80205 (Map it). Guests will check-in with the security guard on the first floor of the building, he will then let folks up to the 6th floor. Parking and entrance information here.
Location for Happy Hour: Improper City, 3201 Walnut St #107, Denver, CO 80205 (MAP IT)
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