Hickman blasts CDPHE

Lake County Commissioner Mike Hickman

Cites "continued lack of active contribution by the Colorado Dept of Public Health & Environment to fix the mine pool problem in the Lake County mining district."

Text of Mike Hickman's letter to Governor Bill Ritter...

LAKE COUNTY
BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

April 1, 2008

The Honorable Bill Ritter, Governor
136 State Capitol
Denver, Colorado 80203-1792

Re: Lake County Mine Pool Declaration of Emergency
 
Dear Governor Ritter,
 
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) wishes to express its utter dismay and frustration concerning the continued lack of active contribution by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to fix the mine pool problem in the Lake County mining district. As you recall, the BOCC declared a State of Emergency on February 13, 2008 concerning the threat posed by elevated groundwater in the Lake County mining district that could lead to a catastrophic blow out and release of toxic water into the Arkansas River.
 
Since that time the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have acted swiftly to begin pumping operations at the Gaw Shaft and to engineer and build piping to begin pumping at the LMDT. CDPHE has been in the loop for the meetings and conference calls regarding the combined agency response to this serious problem. CDPHE agreed to be tasked with one part of the solution to the rising mine pool involving drilling at the Canterbury Tunnel, a known historical relief valve to the mine pool which in recent years has become blocked and is now a contributing source of clean water to the rising mine pool.
 
EPA and BOR have immediately stepped up to the plate, while CDPHE continues to drag its feet claiming no authority, no funding and no interest in any additional liability. CDPHE apparently is doing everything it can internally to do nothing. Meanwhile, the BOCC has repeatedly asked CDPHE to inform it if additional authority or appropriations are needed from the State legislature to enable it to perform these tasks as part of the complete solution for the mine pool problem. The State legislative delegation for Lake County has been prepared to take action to introduce legislation to authorize and fund such action by CDPHE. Yet CDPHE continues to come up with excuses for not even having completed a basic analysis on the issue.
 
All that is asked of CDPHE is to provide for horizontal drilling of the Canterbury Tunnel and fluming of clean surface water from Evans Gulch to reduce the infiltration of clean water into the mine pool. The estimated cost for these actions is approximately $3.5 million. The BOCC, and possibly Parkville Water District, are willing to contribute to these projects. If CDPHE is not the appropriate State agency to handle this sort of work, then you should determine which of your other agencies has the capability of handling such projects and reassign this matter for immediate action.
 
Governor Ritter, you personally signed the emergency declaration, yet your agency designated to respond to this environmental emergency has yet to do so. Colorado water is at risk now, not in the future. If you turn your back at this crucial moment and the Lake County public water supply and the Arkansas River suffers damage, it will be on your leadership watch. You have taken the position of the "environmental governor," for which we applaud you. We now ask that you live up to it by making sure the threat in Lake County is completely and permanently addressed by requiring immediate action from your employees to actively participate in the elimination of the threat from the rising ground water in the Lake County mining district.
 
Michael J. Hickman, Chairman
Lake County Commissioners