Save The Arkansas River: Federal and State Agencies Answer to Senator Tom Wiens

Federal and State Agencies Answer to Senator Tom Wiens
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Save The Arkansas River on 20 February, 2008
 
Senator Wiens mediated an often contentious discussion among Lake County
Commissioners and officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of
Reclamation, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Colorado Department of
Health and Environment.
The agenda of the meeting was to formulate an action plan to solve the problem
at the blocked LMDT. The solution agreed to was to dewater the 1 billion gallon
toxic mine pool pressing on the blockage inside the LMDT. Experts from the EPA
and Lake County warned of a blow-out of the LMDT if the pressure behind the
blockage is not relieved.
Senator Wiens joined Lake County Commissioners in explaining the problems in
great detail and offering relatively simple drilling and pumping and water
treatment fixes to relieve the pressure and avert a disaster for the people of
Leadville and the Arkansas River Watershed.
In the last ten days Senator Wiens requested that the Colorado Governor declare
an emergency at the LMDT and that the Governor request the President to declare
a Federal Emergency. Leadville citizens and the people downstream from the
headwaters of the Arkansas River in Lake County are still waiting for the
Federal declaration and for any state money to be appropriated to avert a
disaster.
In response to a direction plea from Senator Wiens to Federal officials the EPA
came to the meeting with a $1.5 million plan to immediately being pumping water
from the Gaw Shaft and to within 12 week begin pumping and treating toxic water
from within the LMDT. Senator Wiens praised EPA Regional Administrator Robbie
Roberts for coming to the meeting with a plan of action and the funding for the
plan.
Senator Wiens is committed to facilitating the daily communication among the
Federal, State and Local agencies to ensure that each agency is held to the
commitments they made today and that this problem gets solved before lives are
lost and a river system is ruined.