Leadville mine leak could endanger water supply

Contaminated water bursts from a mountainside above town and rolls through the streets and houses of Leadville.

Or it blasts like a tidal wave down mountain gulches into the Arkansas River, polluting the water that sustains life and the economy throughout the region.

Those are some of the scenarios feared by Lake County officials, who declared a state of emergency Wednesday over the “imminent potential for catastrophic failure” of a mine drainage tunnel above town.

A meeting Thursday with state and federal officials did little to ease the mind of Lake County Commissioner Carl Schaefer. The decision was to study the problem more.

“The time to study is over. They need to take action,” Schaefer said. “This is not like a fine wine. It does not get better with age.”

County officials say millions of gallons are trapped in an underground pool, caused by blockages in the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel, which carries water from historic underground mines. The water is contaminated with heavy metals.

Ground seepage from increased snow levels in the Arkansas River basin has put pressure on a blockage in the tunnel, officials said.

“Once the snowpack starts to melt, it will contribute to that backup, and where is the water going to go?” Schaefer said.

Schaefer said the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the 16-year-old drainage tunnel, should take immediate measures to ease the pressure, such as drilling wells and pumping water out.

Some lawmakers, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are also concerned about buildup in the tunnel. In November, the EPA wrote a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation regarding increased heavy metals in the water downstream, possibly coming from leaks in the tunnel.

“Due to the unknown condition of the tunnel blockages and the large volume of water behind the blockages, we are concerned that an uncontrolled, potentially catastrophic release of water to the Arkansas River from the (tunnel) is likely at some point,” wrote Robert E. Robert, the EPA’s regional administrator.

The Bureau of Reclamation, in a responding letter, acknowledged a “recent change in discharge quantity and quality from the tunnel portal” but said there is no evidence of a threat.

“At this point, we don’t have any data that indicates a threat to the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel,” bureau spokesman Buck Feist said Thursday. He would not elaborate on the discharge changes.

Feist said the agency is still working on a risk analysis of the tunnel and has several options if a decision is made to drain water.

Another meeting between county, state and federal officials is planned for today, but the troubleshooting won’t stop there. Sen. Tom Wiens, a Republican who represents northern El Paso and Teller counties, has requested that Gov. Bill Ritter declare a state of emergency in Lake County because of the tunnel problems.

No declaration was made Thursday, but the senator set up a Feb. 21 meeting at the Capitol for local, state and federal officials, including U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, to discuss solutions.

While Leadville and the Arkansas River communities of Buena Vista and Salida could be most immediately affected, a spill into the Arkansas could have consequences far downstream.

Colorado Springs Utilities doesn’t have water pipelines immediately in the area, but water does come from the Pueblo Reservoir, more than 100 miles downstream from Leadville.

“Certainly this is a regional issue and we are concerned and it needs to be addressed,” said Gary Bostrom, Utilities’ general manager of water systems.

But, he said, “We’re not concerned about it immediately affecting our ability to provide water service.”

CONTACT THE WRITER: 476-1605 or scott.rappold@gazette.com

Gazette reporter Ed Sealover contributed to this article