Vail Colorado-Todays information & news from Vail Daily - News:
"LEADVILLE, Colorado — The pool of contaminated water trapped by the collapse in the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel is an immediate threat to the lives and well-being of Lake County citizens, according to the Lake County Commissioners.
. . .
A blockage in the tunnel caused over a billion gallons of water of toxic acid and metal-laden water to form a pool at the headwaters of the Arkansas River, according to Commissioner Hickman. He explained that the water is now nearly 200 feet high and continues to apply pressure against the cave-in.
. . .
The Lake County Commissioners may be voicing the loudest concerns, but they aren’t the only ones working on a solution. The EPA has been worried about the collapse in the tunnel for years, and it has even gone so far as to draw up plans for a potential solution. On Nov. 8, Robert E. Robert, Regional Administrator for the EPA requested, by letter, that the Bureau of Reclamation immediately address the potential risks presented by the situation at the tunnel.
Leadville’s congressional representatives have recently become involved, as well. On February 4, 2008, Senator Ken Salazar wrote to the Bureau of Reclamation, expressing his concern that the Bureau of Reclamation wasn’t fully cooperating with the EPA or the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment."
Lets see - its mining country up there - how about somebody drills a hole and relieves the pressure? Then you would know where the contaminated water was going - you could even direct it where you wanted it to go.
Some fear contaminated Colorado water could flow to Kansas | KSN.com - News, Weather, Sports - NBC - Wichita - Great Bend - Garden City - McCook - Kansas | Local News:
"WICHITA, Kansas February 15, 2008 -- Kansas officials have a close eye on a problem in Colorado that could contaminate the Arkansas River.
Multimedia
There's a possibility that a billion gallons of water trapped in a Rocky Mountain mine shaft could explode. That would contaminate the Arkansas River and possibly flow downstream to Kansas.
It's a picturesque mountain landscape near Leadville, Colorado. But under the mountain is what some are calling a looming disaster, with the potential to end up in Kansas.
Pictures of a small pipe, spilling brown murky water into pure white mountain snow only shows a trickle of the problem.
More than a billion gallons of contaminated water are trapped and building up in mine shafts and drainage tunnels. Some fear melting snow this spring could create too much pressure and cause the shafts to explode. If that happens, the town of Leadville, near the mouth of the Arkansas River, would flood. It would also send the billion gallons of contaminated water gushing downstream.
County officials there say an uncontrolled blowout could kill more than 100 Leadville residents and contaminate the Arkansas River from Leadville to the Mississippi River.
But officials with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment say they've been monitoring the situation and have been in contact with the EPA.
"At this time we are not projecting any substantial impact. The reason is there are a couple of reservoirs on the Colorado side we believe will absorb the impact from any release," said Mike Heideman a KDHE spokesperson.
Wichita officials agree saying even if contaminated water made it to Kansas we'd never see it in Wichita. First, because the river dries up in Central Kansas and second, because the metal contaminants are heavy and couldn't travel this far.
Regardless, Colorado officials say the Federal Government, who owns the problematic mine shaft, could divert the problem.
"The Federal government is failing to do their job," said Colorado State Senator Tom Wiens."
Well that's nice - most everyone in Colorado will have contaminated water, but as long as Wichita is fine, that won't be a problem.
Plan in place to pump out flooded Leadville tunnel : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News:
"Colorado health officials estimate that 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 laced with 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 channeled into 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.'
Gov. Bill Ritter on Friday asked President Bush for help."
As usual, run to the federal nanny for help - the hearty pioneers who dug those mines would think this is pathetic. If Colorado can't find $5 million (or even $50 million) in a reserve fund, then they need to recall the governor and the legislature.
9NEWS - Article - 'Short-term' solutions in the works for impending disaster:
"LEADVILLE - A second emergency meeting is scheduled for Friday morning to discuss what to do about billions of gallons of water trapped behind a collapsed drainage tunnel inside a mountain in Lake County.
Local, state and federal emergency managers first met Thursday morning after 9Wants to Know exposed the threat posed by the trapped water on 9NEWS at 10 p.m. on Wednesday night."
Hmmm - a little self promotion obviously, but how come the news media has to embarrass state officials into getting something done?
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