Meeting to Look at Mine Drain Fixes
By Chris Woodka, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.
Feb. 19–Possible solutions for relieving mine drainage pressure believed to be causing toxic seeps and a potentially life-threatening blowout will be discussed today at a meeting in Leadville.
Ken Olsen, the Lake County commissioner who has taken the lead in calling for both short-term and long-term solutions, said the meeting will give concerned local residents, federal and state officials a chance to sort out multiple plans to deal with the crisis.
"I hope to be positive, but I have decided a fix is going to happen," Olsen said Monday. "Sometimes the bureaucracy can get in the way. .Ê.Ê. If we don’t have that cooperative spirit, it may be time to look at a different way."
Olsen said he spent the weekend lining up professionals who are prepared to drill into old mine works as soon as possible, rather than waiting for snow to melt or the weather to warm.
"I’ve got folks who know Leadville, have the equipment, aren’t afraid to do the work and could start tomorrow," Olsen said.
What Lake County doesn’t have is money.
With short-term fixes in the $5 million-$10 million range, and a long-term solution possibly costing $40 million, Lake County is relying on federal help to solve the problem.
Two federal agencies operate mine drainage tunnels near Leadville and have spent more than $100 million, by some accounts, over the past 50 years.
Issues of contamination in the water and its impact on the Arkansas River flared in the late 1980s, leading to two treatment plants built in 1992.
The Bureau of Reclamation operates the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel, built during World War II and the Korean War by the federal government to drain mines that helped the war efforts. The 2-mile long tunnel drains mines east of Leadville into the East Fork of the Arkansas River, north of Leadville.
The Environmental Protection Agency oversees the Superfund Yak Tunnel drainage n an older project built by private companies that empties into California Gulch.
Lake County commissioners last week declared a state of emergency because of an EPA report that nearly 1 billion gallons of water may be backed up in the Leadville Tunnel because of blockages, creating pressure that could cause a blowout. Reclamation claims the tunnel is continuing to function properly and there is no imminent threat of disaster.
High groundwater tables have created springs in California Gulch below the Yak Tunnel, and tests in November showed high levels of zinc and cadmium were being leached out from old mines, fissures and tailings.
One of the short-term solutions agreed on last week is to pump the Gaw Shaft, below the Yak Tunnel, to alleviate the pressure. A 490-foot-deep, 15-inch well was built by the EPA at the site, but never used, Olsen said.
"I hope the water quality in the Gaw Shaft will hold up," Olsen said.
Olsen said the county also is watching the impact of high water levels on a well east of the city that provides 20-30 percent of the Parkville Water District’s winter supply. The water district serves Leadville residents.
Today’s meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Sixth Street Gym in Leadville.
Meanwhile, Reclamation is planning to conduct a test of warning sirens at the Leadville Tunnel treatment plant at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
"This siren test is just one of the immediate tasks the Bureau of Reclamation is performing to help address the community’s concerns," said Reclamation Area Manager Michael Collins. "Reclamation has expressed its ongoing commitment to work with Lake County and others to immediately address risk reduction at the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel."
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Copyright (c) 2008, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.
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