Fox News talks with Sen. Tom Wiens about Executive Meeting

FOX NEWS INTERVIEW 2/21/08 LMDT

FOX NEWS - Good morning, Senator, thanks for joining us.

SEN. WIENS - Great to be here.

FOX NEWS - This is such a big issue here, and definitely sounds pretty ominous. Can you give us the latest? I know you recently had that meeting. What's going to happen now in Leadville?

SEN. WIENS – We've been working on this pretty much 24 hours a day for a couple of weeks now -- and for a couple of years -- trying to get a meeting like the one we're having today where we're having decision-makers, technical experts, the Bureau of Reclamation, the EPA, the state Department of Public Health and Environment, and FEMA, all in one room, with our County Commissioners.

We've been trying to get everyone focused on solutions for a long, long time over the last several weeks. We've been able to see to it that the Secretary of the Interior Kempthorne was personally briefed on this. I've spoken directly to the head of the Bureau of Reclamation. I had a lengthy conversation just yesterday with the Director. Senator Allard has made every phone call I've asked him to make to make sure that we have people in these federal agencies paying attention to this

FOX NEWS – This is not a question of "if," but "when." And we talk about a disaster, a potential disaster. You've said before on "Good Day Colorado" you feel the feds are dragging their feet. Where is this going and how is it going to be resolved?

SEN. WIENS – We're hopeful today that we're going to be able to get the federal agencies to say at a public meeting that we intend to do A, B, C, and D. We have about 6 or 7 things we need them to do to avert this calamity, and that we need to be able to put a time line with it. And we need to have direct accountability to the people to make sure it happens, and not have the same kind of performance from the beginning. And I've got my job, to make sure that this kind of thing doesn't happen again.

FOX NEWS – You've mentioned that this was actually a government issue. This is their job to take care of, a reclamation sort of situation. Who brought it to your attention in the first place? Who raised the red flag and said we've got a big problem here?

SEN. WIENS – I live in Douglas County, but my District goes all the way to Leadville and I've been very familiar with the issue for a couple of years now and have been experiencing the frustration along with the County Commissioners -- of not being able to get the State Department of Public Health and Environment, the Bureau of Reclamation and the federal agencies to focus on this. But now it seems like we've got the focus and we're going to turn that into results.

FOX NEWS – Senator Tom Wiens, thank you very much, and we'll continue to track this. And stay in touch.

SEN. WIENS – Thank you.

U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard and State Sen. Tom Wiens to Hold Public Meeting to Address Leadville Mine Disaster

DENVER, CO (Colorado State Senate) February 16, 2008 -- Senator Wayne Allard has contacted Senator Tom Wiens, (R) Castle Rock, to share his commitments to request all necessary federal officials meet at the Colorado State Capitol next Thursday and work with local Lake County and state officials to map out an action plan for the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. Sen. Wiens had requested that, due to a recommendation of the Lake County Board of Commissioners, the Governor and the President of the United States declare a state of emergency concerning the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. A subsequent declaration was issued by the Governor of the State of Colorado.

Senator Allard said "The time for foot dragging and further government studies has passed, the time has come to stop studying and stop bureaucratic squabbles and focus on immediate and long term solutions. It is my hope that by getting everyone in the same room we will be able to map out a clear strategy to protect the Arkansas River and the people of Colorado."

Senator Wiens is inviting the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and other state officials to attend the meeting also, as well as Lake County Commissioners and local officials familiar with the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. Wiens said "I believe there appears to be no disagreement over the fact that we will have to de-water the mine pool sooner or later. Federal officials seem to be moving in a path toward later and local officials want it to be sooner. The problem is that if the federal approach turns out to be too late, the consequences are unthinkable. We are going to have to de-water the mine pool sooner or later, we might as well do it now, and it is our hope that getting everyone in the same room with a very narrow agenda will result in a plan to resolve this problem."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Bureau of Land Reclamation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and representatives from the Board of Lake County Commissioners will all be on hand to contribute to solutions-based discussion.

About Senator Wiens - Tom Wiens, (R) Castle Rock, represents Colorado's 4th Senate District, which includes Southern Douglas County, Northern El Paso, Teller, Park and Lake Counties.