Mining a $10.2 billion industry in Colorado in 2012, environmental issues persist

LOVELAND – The mining industry contributed 1.7 percent of Colorado’s gross domestic product in 2012, or about $10.2 billion, but concerns about water and air quality and the threat of increased regulation are still cause for concern among oil and gas stakeholders.

Mining is one of the largest primary employers in Colorado, according to Brian Lewandowski, research associate at the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business in the business research division. The mining industry includes not only oil and gas producers, but also ancillary companies that manufacture supplies for oil and gas and transportation companies that haul resources like sand…