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(January 2 0 18 Proposed Prospectus) BACKGROUND AND NEED Thousands of legacy mines impact water quality in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, across the Rocky Mountain West, and mountains around the world. While efforts to date have sought to address isolated aspects of water treatment, surface management, and/or technology, no initiative has embraced a systems approach that combines emerging technologies, business perspectives, and policy reform. Addressing abandoned and draining mines is a highly complex social and environmental problem that demands an integrated, holistic approach. To succeed, we must pivot from isolated improvements to an approach that recognizes the advantages of collaboration, innovation, adaptive management, business perspectives, and solution-driven approaches. In response to the Gold King Mine wastewater spill of 2015, the Bonita Peak Mining District outside of Silverton, Colorado was designated as a Superfund Site with the support of the community, state and other stakeholders. This incident and resulting fresh focus on the issue of acid mine drainage presents an opportunity to bring stakeholders and regulators together to collaborate on science, technology innovation, and improvements to the regulatory process in order to bring solutions to the ground and the water. VISION The Science & Innovation Center will host a consortium of businesses, researchers and agencies to advance technology, catalyze science, and support creative solutions to advance hard rock mine remediation. It will become a center for excellence, a hub of innovation and a base for expertise and technology that will be in high demand to address acid-mine drainage in communities across the West, and around the world. The Science and Innovation Center will: Seek collaborative innovation to advance the state of remedial options and best practices Fill science and technology information gaps regarding remediation and treatment of acid mine drainage Identify ways to improve the efficiency of state and federal regulatory processes that oversee remediation efforts Support entrepreneurs and partners to design, test, and advance their technologies Promote a public-private model of community development that supports local economies and industry STEERING COMMITTEE AND NEXT STEPS At the August 2017 Silverton Innovation Expo organized and hosted by Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) and its partners, the concept of the Science & Innovation Center to bring interests together to catalyze comprehensive solutions was discussed. MSI is in the midst of forming and facilitating a Steering Committee that will bring stakeholder representatives together to consider how to make this concept a reality. Initial goals for the Steering Committee include: Communicate a collective path forward by defining and articulating the need, workings and outputs of the Center Identify key partners on the leading edge of industry, science and technology Tap into the resources and opportunities that will lead to financial and other support for the Center Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 5 ED 002061 00114030-00001 The Steering Committee will help to guide the path forward in establishing the Center. Next steps could include: initiation of a "needs assessment" engaging entrepreneurs, agencies and researchers to understand requirements for resources, commitments, and facilities; facilitating summer 2018 pilot projects; and leveraging the 2nd Silverton Innovation Expo in August 2018 to expand industry, entrepreneurs, agency, and community participation. PRELIMINARY LIST OF ENTITIES INVITED TO JOIN STEERING COMMITTEE Town of Silverton, Colorado San Juan County, Colorado Environmental Protection Agency Animas River Stakeholders Group Animas Watershed Partnership United States Geological Survey University of Colorado Colorado Department of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Colorado School of Mines Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment United States Forest Service Bureau of Land Management Fort Lewis College ABOUT MOUNTAIN STUDIES INSTITUTE Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) is a 501(c)(3) non-advocacy, not-for-profit mountain research and education institution established in 2002 in Silverton, Colorado. The Institute's mission is to empower scientists, communities, and land managers to advance mountain science to innovate solutions through research, education, and practice. We strive to increase knowledge, understand our unique mountain environments and issues that affect them, and develop solutions for the benefit of our vibrant mountain communities--the Animas River and Silverton community is central to MSI's work. To accomplish these goals, we build partnerships to steward natural and cultural values by engaging citizens, scientists, community leaders, and resource managers in collaborative efforts to put science into action. CONTACT Marcie Demmy Bidwell Executive Director | Mountain Studies Institute ___ Ex. 6____) marcie@mount3instudies.org 116 East 12th Street, P.O. Box 426, Silverton, CO 81433 www.mountainstudies.org Mountain Studies Institute SAN SNAN MOUNTAINS COLORADO Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 5 ED 002061 00114030-00002