Wiens speeds up Federal timetable

U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard and State Sen. Tom Wiens

Sen. Tom Wiens, R-Castle Rock, will monitor state and federal progress in de-watering the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel and securing Leadville's economy.

DENVER, CO -- February 21, 2008. Republican State Sen. Tom Wiens, R-Castle Rock, and U.S. Senator Wayne Allard met today with federal officials at the State Capitol in hopes averting a disaster in Leadville that could cost hundreds of lives and foul the Arkansas River.

The key lawmakers sketched out a plan to drain toxic water that has pooled underground and now threatens to burst through a decaying barrier and flood parts of the historic mountain town as well as the nearby Arkansas' headwaters.

"We need to have a real discussion today, we need an immediate fix, and a permanent solution." Wiens said to open the meeting.

Allard echoed Wiens' demand for action. "We are all concerned, and we want a plan," the veteran senator said.

Allard and Wiens were joined by the Lake County commissioners, and a host of federal officials representing key agencies that must play a role in planning for the emergency.

Frustrations have grown with the federal agencies involved. 

"We are angry, we're damned angry.  We have three (federal) agencies over here -- agencies I'm terming 'The Three Stooges,'" said Lake County Commissioner Mike Hickman.

He added, "Almost four years ago we knew what the problem was, and you (the federal agencies) are still pointing fingers in every direction, the people of Leadville deserve more."

Last week, in a letter to Gov. Bill Ritter and President Bush, Wiens drew national attention to the potential disaster.

In response, federal and state emergency response officials are preparing to make money available and to take action at the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel, following the demand from Wiens and the Lake County commissioners. 

"The situation at the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel is severe and the time has come for an immediate fix. The federal government is responsible for this property and needs to fix it," Wiens said. "Federal funds must be made available, and the United States Bureau of Reclamation authorities must be required to take immediate action to relieve the pressure inside the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel."

In a coordinated effort, the Lake County Commissioners issued a news release of their own "urgently notifying and warning the citizens and elected officials of the State of Colorado that an imminent and substantial danger to the Arkansas Valley Watershed is currently presented by conditions at the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel."

The tunnels, which collect heavy metal and acid mine drainage from many abandoned mines in the area, transport the contaminated water to a treatment facility. However, because of a cave-in years ago in the tunnel, the water is not getting to the treatment facility.

The mine pool now contains over 1 billion gallons of toxic, heavy metal-laden water. If a blowout in the tunnel occurs, the water could spill out into the Arkansas River and, experts say, would endanger the lives of over 400 Lake County residents, causing massive damage to the surrounding ecosystem and the Arkansas River.