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To: ms.smartest.person who wrote (3009)	2/20/2008 1:48:59 PM
From: ms.smartest.person	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3198

FEDS TO EASE WATER PRESSURE : Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel water build-up threatens town Federal officials will pump water from a blocked mine drainage tunnel, which locals fear may burst, sending a torrent of acid mine drainage through Leadville, Colorado, and into the Arkansas River. Author: Dorothy Kosich Posted: Monday , 18 Feb 2008 mineweb.com RENO, NV - The Bureau of Reclamation is working with Lake County, Colorado state officials and other federal agencies to reduce the risk of 1.5 billion gallons of acid mine drainage blowing out the walls of the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. Lake County commissioners declared a state of emergency last week for fear that the heavy winter snowpack would exacerbate the problem during a spring runoff. Water has risen to 188 feet above the tunnel's water treatment plant. Officials say that untreated mine runoff is already seeping out of new springs and flowing into the Arkansas River, which is part of the California Gulch Superfund site. Colorado health officials said it will cost $5 million for the emergency water-pumping program. Located one mile north of the town of Leadville, the tunnel drains water from a portion of the underground workings of the Leadville Mining District. The tunnel was built in 1943 by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The project was completed in March 1952 at a total tunnel length of 12,999 feet or 3,444 meters. To bring the discharge of the drainage water into compliance with the Clean Water Act, a water treatment plant was built and started operating in March 1992. Jim Martin, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said the state will pump water out of the tunnel to relieve pressure and to treat the water before it is channeled into the river. During a meeting last week, Lake County Commissioner Ken Olsen said, "This is an old problem that has reached critical mass." More than 1 billion gallons of water in the tunnel are caught before a wall of rubble that has accumulated for more than 30 years. The fear is that the water pressure, made worse by rising groundwater tables and spring runoff, may cause the tunnel to rupture or the gate at the portal to blow out. Water seeping from the mine shafts is contaminated with zinc, cadmium, manganese and other heavy metals. On Friday the Bureau of Reclamation offered to treat 900 gallons of water a minute from its unused capacity at the Leadville Mining Tunnel when the pumping begins this week. Currently reclamation is treating 1,100 gallons-per-minute and will have the capability to treat a total of 2,000 gallons-per-minute. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter asked President Bush Friday to take immediate action to "avert a catastrophic event." U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, Colorado's former chief environmental regulator, met with Lake County officials Saturday, and also inspected the tunnel. In addition to pumping the water, local, state and federal officials agreed to conduct a risk assessment, and create an incident action plan should the tunnel explode, as well as testing groundwater for contamination. Beside the possible threat to the 2,700 residents of Leadville, a tunnel blowout could send heavy metals into the Arkansas River.