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$5 million pumping plan for Leadville tunnel

Agencies to start removing toxic water next week to avoide a high-pressure blowout

By Jerd Smith, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 15, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.
Updated February 15, 2008 at 1:57 p.m.

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LEADVILLE — Colorado health officials estimate it will cost $5 million to launch an emergency water-pumping program next week to avert a potential catastrophic blowout at an old mine tunnel here.

Such an event could send a toxic brew of heavy metals into the Arkansas River and harm hundreds of people in this historic mountain community.

Jim Martin, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, told townspeople Friday the state will do everything it can to jump-start a response plan that includes pumping water out of the tunnel to relieve pressure and to treat the water before it is returned to the river.

"There is no need to panic," Martin said. "There is a lot of planning going on here. Most of Leadville faces no risk at all. But the depth of the water pools is worrying," he said. "It is incumbent upon us to act quickly."

As emergency response officials gathered at the courthouse Friday, Elsie Duran, 52, and her husband unloaded bottled water from their truck and carried it into their trailer home along the Arkansas River.

Inside, she has gathered her family's important papers in a briefcase that she can grab if she needs to evacuate. Of more concern are medicines in the refrigerator she needs for her diabetes. They must stay cool.

"They've told us our water is safe," said Duran. "But you never know."

She and her family have lived in this scenic trouble spot for four years. And they've known at least that long that a catastrophic blast of pent-up water from the aging Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel was a possibility. Her front door lies almost directly across the road from the tunnel's massive portal.

30-YEAR WATER BUILDUP

Rising water levels in the tunnel and seepage of rust- colored waters into the white snowpack here prompted a call for emergency action by Lake County Commissioners this week.

"This is an old problem that has reached critical mass," said Lake County Commissioner Ken Olsen.

Throughout the day, officials from Washington D.C. to Denver to Leadville spoke face-to-face and via conference call to iron out an action plan as residents waited for word on what to do. The message remained the same: Don't panic. The water is safe. There is no need to evacuate.

By noon, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment had agreed they would begin pumping next week.

Officials estimate more than 1 billion gallons of water have accumulated in the tunnel, caught behind a rising wall of rubble that has accumulated for more than 30 years. The fear is that the pressure, made worse by rising groundwater tables and spring runoff, will cause the tunnel to rupture or the gate at the portal to blow out.

Such a catastrophe could wipe out East Village, the small community of modular homes where Elsie Duran and nearly 300 other people live. It could also hopelessly contaminate the headwaters of the Arkansas River, which serves Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Aurora. And it could inject a lethal mix of cadmium, zinc and lead into Leadville's water supply.

As local officials called for action, conflict behind the scenes was apparent. Lake County's proud mining tradition also left it with a legacy of contamination, including a Superfund site at the California Gulch Springs.

The Leadville Mine drainage tunnel, owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, runs through the site, which is managed by the EPA.

And the two agencies sniped at one another this week over the failure to decide how best to protect Leadville from a possible tunnel blowout.

AGENCIES COOPERATE

"While I'm disappointed that you are unwilling at this time to participate with EPA in implementing the remedy. . . I believe that it is in the interest of the public and the United States Government to find a way to resolve this situation," Regional EPA Administrator Robert Roberts wrote to Michael Ryan, regional director of the Bureau of Reclamationon Feb. 8.

"Failure to do so puts public safety and the environment at risk of an uncontrolled, potentially catastrophic release of contaminated water from the LMDT (tunnel)."

Hours of meetings on Friday calmed the bureaucratic waters somewhat. "First they told us they might take a look at the problem in August," said Lake County Commissioner Mike Hickman. "Then they said June. Now they're saying next week. That's exciting."

The Bureau of Reclamation issued a press release late Friday saying it was working with local agencies "to reduce the perceived risk and the concerns" of residents.

Also, the BOR's treatment facility offered to take 900 gallons of water a minute from the tunnel when pumping starts next week.

Elsie Duran isn't sure what to think. So she's keeping her briefcase handy, and her diabetes medicines and bottled water close at hand.

"Saying you're going to do something and then doing it are two separate things," she said.

"And who really knows what could happen?" she mused. "Who really knows how fast the water is going to be moving and how much tiem we'll have to leave?"

Bill Scanlon contributed to this report

Comments

  • February 15, 2008

    9:22 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    dagrzy writes:

    My brother and his family have lived in Leadville for years. Why did he have to find out about this on Yahoo.com? Shouldn't it be the responsibility of the town to notify residence of such a possible disaster? What, if anything can be done to prevent this from happening?

  • February 15, 2008

    10:53 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    hikingartist writes:

    As I said before, the most important thing in the country is that whoever dug the mine made the maximum amount of profit, stripping the earth of its resources and that the taxpayer gets the bill for cleaning up their mess. I believe this how these things routinely work in the US.

  • February 15, 2008

    11:20 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    kirbysfriend22 writes:

    hey dagrzy,
    Your brother should read the local newspaper. There has been conversation and reporting on this for some time now. It's becoming national news and reported on yahoo because now it seems the problem is getting worse and the impending snow melt will increase run off and presumably increase pressure on the blockage. It's a problem indeed, but your brother should know it hasn't been a secret.

  • February 15, 2008

    11:32 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    TiredofLiarsandhypocrites writes:

    Gene,

    Maybe we are just tired of the money grubbing wh**** in the world and people need to be accountable for their actions.

  • February 15, 2008

    11:32 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    kirbysfriend22 writes:

    oh, yeah, for reference, you can find an article from the October 27, 2007 Leadville Chronicle titled "What to do about the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel?"

  • February 15, 2008

    11:43 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    hikingartist writes:

    The real world? You mean your world. No thanks.

  • February 15, 2008

    12:23 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TiredofLiarsandhypocrites writes:

    Global warming is not real. Man can do no harm to the planet cuz "god" says we rule all. Decimate and rape the earth instead of looking at new ways of doing things.

    Greg you are right there will be record run offs and this is why we shouldn't mess with mother nature.

    How about all the pits in the Roan Plateau that they are sucking all the natural gas from that they are filling with "harmless" water that will start leaking? Guess what we don't even see that gas in Colorado but we will certainly pay for it. Not the Halliburtons of the world that is for sure.

    You ever seen what is left of a mountain when it has been strip or leeched mined. No problems there right? These are the "new" mining methods?

    I invite you guys to go ahead and move right into that trailer park in Leadville.

  • February 15, 2008

    12:32 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Firefox writes:

    Let me get this straight they are going to pump this water out untreated and let it run in to the Arkansas river? Please tell me that is not the fix even if it is temporary, why are they not treating or filtering this water. I see my fly fishing that beautiful river going away. Is this classic of our Govt. wait until it is or near a disater and then still really do nothing. Good Job Salazar, Ritter way to go!

  • February 15, 2008

    1:16 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jbowen43 writes:

    Let's see now. Who has been a U S Senator during the entire time this has been a problem? Oh yeah. Wayne Allard has been a U S Senator the entire time. Who was in control of congress during that time? The republicans that's who. Who was in control of the state government during most of the time? The republicans again.

  • February 15, 2008

    1:25 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Firefox writes:

    This is not Republican or Democrat I could care less who is in office fix the problem and fix it right. For the record Ritter has been in office for a year and Salazar since 2004.

  • February 15, 2008

    3:04 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Golden writes:

    Why does Ritter need he federal government to do something. The federal government didn't create the problem, and didn't benefit from the mine being open. Colorado created the problem and Colorado should clean it up.

    This isn't a welfare state, we don't any help from WDC.

  • February 15, 2008

    5:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    SetTheFactsStraight writes:

    Golden and GWM - Please check your facts. The tunnel and associated complex and treatment facility are owned by the US Government, Bureau of Reclamation. The mines were established to supply US military needs during World War II and the tunnel was built by the federal government to channel the runoff, in days before dumping heavy metals into watercourses was considered bad form. The treatement plant was built by the federal government to treat the runoff. This was a federal project from the begining and THAT is why the federal government is needed to address the fixes. Its their stuff and always has been. And last I checked having the owner clean up a mess his stuff dirtied is just common sense, not welfare. Reading is fundamental!

  • February 15, 2008

    5:52 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    farsidefan writes:

    Maybe George will send " Brownie" in to solve the problem, like they did with Katrina.
    Owens in office 8 years, Allard 8 years, so Firefox why not include them in your rant ?
    Mine drainage has been a problem all over Colorado for years.
    I remember hearing about the water that came rushing out of the tunnel where the Argo mine now sits on I-70 at Idaho Springs. Same kind of thing happened. The tunnel was blocked for years, water finally broke through (long before I 70 of course ) and exploded so hard it shot across the and went all the way up the south side.
    This is all I know but if someone out there remembers stories of this please add more detail.