U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar visited the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel today, where officials are striving to stave off a gigantic spill of toxic materials.
Salazar met with Lake County commissioners to discuss a four-point plan for swiftly dealing with a blocked tunnel that threatens to blow out.
“This is a serious issue, and the Bureau of Reclamation needs to act with urgency,” Salazar said.
On Friday, Gov. Bill Ritter asked President Bush to take immediate action to “avert a catastrophic event.”
Local, state and federal officials agreed Friday to a four-point plan including immediately pumping water out of the mine shaft beginning next week, conducting a risk assessment, creating an incident action plan and testing groundwater for contamination.
Colorado health officials estimate it will cost about $5 million to pump the tunnel out and permanently address safety issues.
Salazar earlier wrote a letter to Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Robert W. Johnson, requesting a report of possible blockage in the drainage tunnel and the likely effects of contaminated water on California Gulch and the Arkansas River if there is a discharge.
The tunnel, which is owned and operated by the bureau, has a major blockage, and behind the blockage is about 1 billion gallons of toxic acid and metal-laden water, now almost 200 feet high.
Because of a buildup of pressure, the blockage could blow, inflicting numerous deaths and the destruction of property, the Lake County commissioners said in a news release on Wednesday.
“As the Bureau moves forward to address the blockage I will monitor their actions closely and provide any assistance that I can,” Salazar said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
