Save The Arkansas River: Hickman blasts CDPHE

Hickman blasts CDPHE
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Save The Arkansas River on 31 March, 2008
 
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