DA sues Springs Utilities over sewage spills in creek
Pueblo County District Attorney Bill Thiebaut on Wednesday sued the city of Colorado Springs and its utility over a series of sewage spills into Fountain Creek.
The federal lawsuit accuses Colorado Springs Utilities of violating the Clean Water Act by discharging more than 73 million gallons of sewage into the creek since 1998.
Steve Berry, a spokesman for Colorado Springs Utilities, said he was disappointed Thiebaut resorted to suing the utility.
“With the lawsuit, there’s not much I can say now other than we don’t think this is the way to solve mutual watershed challenges,” Berry said.
Pueblo officials have long complained about pollution flowing down Fountain Creek into the east side of their town, but this spring’s major spills galvanized county and city officials.
In late July, bacteria levels recorded in Fountain Creek in Pueblo were 240 times greater than state water-quality standards allow.
Utility officials have argued that their system isn’t the only source of bacteria plaguing the Fountain Creek Watershed. The U.S. Geological Survey has found high levels of bacteria upstream from Colorado Springs.
Last week, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment fined the utility $110,000 for 21 sewer overflows that occurred between Jan. 1, 2004, and Oct. 4.
DENVER
Owens rejects offer to debate taxes in D.C.
Gov. Bill Owens won’t be heading to Washington, D.C., to debate the merits of Referendums C and D with anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist, he said Wednesday in a letter to his once-stalwart political ally.
The day before, Norquist said he accepted an earlier challenge from Owens – if the governor would come to Washington.
Owens found that response “gratuitous at best,” he said Wednesday in his letter.
“Grover, this is an issue of critical importance to Coloradans,” he said. “A discussion of the issues more than a thousand miles way from our state in your office would serve no purpose.”
Owens added: “I renew my invitation to you for a debate. … Come make your arguments firsthand in front of the voters here in Colorado.”
Norquist could not be reached Wednesday night.
GEORGETOWN
Loveland to lead U.S. by opening slopes Fri.
Loveland ski area is set to open on Friday.
“The recent push from Mother Nature in combination with our snowmaking efforts has enabled Loveland Ski Area to kick off the ’05-’06 season,” said marketing director John Sellers.
The resort will become the first in the nation to open at 9 a.m. Friday with one run.
CALHAN
6 horses, burro found shot after snowstorm
Six horses and a burro were found shot to death on a ranch near Calhan, northeast of Colorado Springs, following this week’s snowstorm.
Ned Sixkiller told investigators he found the dead animals – three mares, a filly colt, a stud colt, a filly yearling and a burro – Tuesday evening after the weather cleared. Authorities believe they were shot Monday morning because someone reported seeing a dead horse at the time near Calhan Highway, veterinarian John Heikkila said.
WOLF CREEK
Study wants resort to adapt plans for lynx
A billion-dollar resort village in southwest Colorado won’t doom the existence of the Canada lynx, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service analysis released Wednesday.
Still, the study shows about 43 individuals of the threatened species might be killed over the next 30 years as a result of increased traffic around the Village at Wolf Creek planned by Texas billionaire Red McCombs.
The federal agency is asking developers to assemble a panel of experts to come up with ways to minimize the threat to lynx.
DENVER
3 armed men beat, rob couple in home
A man and a woman were beaten in their south Denver apartment early Wednesday morning by three men armed with pistols, authorities say.
The suspects struck the two victims with guns after they opened their door at about 3:10 a.m., said John White, Denver police spokesman.
The three men ransacked the home.
