President Donald Trump’s determination to cut the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency by 30 percent could be the best thing that’s happened to the Pueblo residents dealing with living in the Colorado Smelter Superfund study area.
“I don’t think there’s any question the agency’s attitude right now is ‘Let’s get this thing moving,’ because that may be the best way to assure funding for the cleanup,” said Pueblo County Commission Chairman Terry Hart, who takes part in the local Citizens Advisory Group on the smelter site.
EPA officials met with Pueblo residents last week to talk about the agency’s interim plan for getting the cleanup started next year — long before the agency will have tested a majority of houses in the 1,900-home study zone. The EPA’s Region 8 office, which includes Colorado, wants to clean an estimated 817 yards in the study area to remove soil contaminated with lead and, in fewer places, arsenic.
More importantly, the agency wants to get started as soon as possible.
“We are at the top of list right now in terms of priority,” Steve Wharton, the regional Superfund manager, said at last week’s meeting, attended by about 30 residents who have houses in the study zone.
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