Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Leadville mayor expresses regrets over mine tunnel

Bud Elliott, Mayor, Leadville

Published July 8, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Text size  

More Letters to the Editor

More stories »

Rocky Mountain News writers Todd Hartman and Vincent Carroll really wrote well in recent days about the risk assessment performed by the Bureau of Reclamation at the Leadville mine drainage tunnel ("Mine tunnel called safe," July 1, and "The Leadville shuffle," On Point, July 2).

Following the declaration of a "disaster emergency" by Lake County commissioners in Leadville on Feb. 13, one of the commissioners referred to the heads of Colorado Department of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Reclamation as "the three stooges." Now, the bureau's risk assessment, begun in November 2007, has been released and it shows there was never any real threat to our community.

In reference to his actions leading up to the February emergency declaration, that same commissioner has stated that he "would not have done anything differently." That is a shame because it is clear that many things should have been done differently by our county commissioners, by state Sen. Tom Wiens, and by the supervisor of the water treatment plant at the Leadville mine drainage tunnel.

In fact, more damage was caused by our county commissioners' actions than could have been caused by the water itself, and it will be a long time before our tourism industry recovers from this manufactured emergency.

That said, because an apology from our county commissioners is apparently not forthcoming, I would like to express an apology for them and welcome the people of Colorado back to Leadville on behalf of the entire community.

Comments

  • July 8, 2008

    6:57 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    natasha writes:

    Leadville is my favorite mountain town. It is full of a rich, colorful history that should not be missed.

  • July 8, 2008

    8:09 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Newenergycommie writes:

    Manufactured environmental emergencies tend to get people moving quickly and not always in the right direction. Witness the looming Manmade Global Warming disaster and its effect on our energy supply and energy costs. Knee jerk feel good reactions like Ritter’s & Salazar's corn based ethanol debacle is a perfect example, of the cure being worse than the disease. Leadville is a great place to visit. The mining museum and Tabor Opera House are must-sees.

  • July 8, 2008

    1:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    garyyonocsko writes:

    Here, here Bud!! Now that's a man I will be voting for this coming election for Lake county commissioner. Someone that will step up to the plate unlike our existing commissioners that cryed wolf and just sat back and watched our 2008 summer tourist season go down the tubes. Yea, as a business owner in Leadville of Rosie's Brewpub, North Americas Highest Brewery,I've been writing editorials in the two Leadville newspapers on this Mine Drainage Tunnel Issue just to express my views. "Come to the greatest history and views in America, come to Leadville".

  • July 8, 2008

    4:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    watching_closely writes:

    We have a group of Commissioners in Lake County who it is quite clear, to a thinking being, have never been concerned with the public. Rather, their overwhelming concern is satisfying a very small group of toxic people who help them retain power. They actually had the nerve to tell some people that the disruption in their business was just temporary.

  • July 8, 2008

    6:40 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Oliver2 writes:

    TryThinking-I suggest that you try thinking, rather than the silly regurgitation of talking points. Might be a switch, I know, but perhaps you can handle it. For instance, the EPA (before they got censored by the big boss man W.) estimated how beneficial curbing global warming could be, you see technological advances spur growth. I know, I know, your screen name is meant to be ironical.

  • July 8, 2008

    11:14 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TLM80209 writes:

    Oliver2...huh??? Are you talking in tongues? Don't know who you're talking to. Don't know what you're talking about.

  • July 10, 2008

    2:19 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    2mile_eagle_eye writes:

    Thanks Bud for having to courtesy to offer an apology. The shame in all of this is that the name calling commissioners refuse to admit that declaring a state of emergency was a bad idea. Now that we've learned that there was no threat of a catastrophic flood, Leadville still remains under a state of emergency. Why? Maybe its because the commissioners can't admit they were wrong. There never were "weapons of mass distruction" lurking in the hills east of Leadville!