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Bureau balks at Leadville drainage bill

By M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 24, 2008 at 11 p.m.

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The Bush administration has balked at Sen. Ken Salazar's legislation to lock in a long-term strategy for averting a disaster at a plugged mine drainage tunnel in Leadville.

The bill is inspired by concerns of residents and local officials that the 65-year-old mine tunnel could burst, flooding surrounding areas and contaminating the Arkansas River.

It would clarify confusion about which federal agency is responsible and give the Bureau of Reclamation unambiguous power - and responsibility - for maintaining the flooded tunnels and preventing a future environmental disaster.

The legislation also would authorize up to $40 million for remedies approved in 2003 by the Environmental Protection Agency, including construction of a bulkhead to isolate contaminated water, new wells and pipelines to take water to a treatment plant, and backfilling portions of the tunnel.

"If the (Leadville Mine drainage tunnel) busts, it will not only put into danger the lives of people who live immediately below . . . it also has the potential of killing a river," Salazar said at an energy and natural resources subcommittee hearing Thursday.

But Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Robert Johnson told the subcommittee the Bush administration opposes the legislation, calling its proposed fixes premature.

Johnson said his agency and the EPA are cooperating on water pumping this summer to alleviate short-term dangers.

He said it's too early to say what long-term remedies are needed until a risk analysis, which is looking at the area's geology, groundwater flows and other issues, is finished.

The legislation is just beginning what could be a long march through Congress. Meanwhile, the EPA announced this week that it had awarded a contract to Layne Christensen Co. to remove water from the tunnel, with work beginning in June.

Officials disagree on whether the problem poses an imminent threat, but the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has backed Salazar's bill.

In testimony Thursday, Martha Rudolph, director of state environmental programs, called the bill's passage "critical to the long-term protection of local residents in Lake County and to the long-term protection of the Arkansas River ecosystem."

Comments

  • April 25, 2008

    12:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    bradlittlepage writes:

    Over 25 years of years of Superfund in Leadville and still counting. Now Reclamation wants to study a problem that has already been studied. For 40 years Reclamation experts had warned that if water was allowed by backed up in the LMDT Catastrophic failure could occur. But remember that research was done by old Reclamation experts in the past so their ancient conclusions could not possibly be right today. Reclamation needs new conclusions by new experts that will support their agency needs. Old science is bad science.

    Politics verses the environment and the people what a sad state of affairs. God help the Arkansas River and the people living in it. The Citizen's and the Commissioners Lake County will fight on to protect its people and environment because it the right thing to do.

    One more thing. To the Citizen's of Creede Colorado who are considering joining forces with the EPA be carful who you invite into your house because they just may stay for a very long time.

  • April 25, 2008

    5:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    nicktaste writes:

    oil , gas, mining companies rape the environment making record profits

    and taxpayers get to foot the bill for the clean up

    its such BS

    at least Ken Salazar is attempting to protect the people of Colorado from this disaster in the making