Date: 09/15/2015
Final
Update on Gold King Mine Spill
WATER RESOURCES REVIEW COMMITTEE
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01:30 PM -- Update on Gold King Mine Spill
The committee came back to order, and Senator Roberts introduced Patrick Pfaltzgraff, Director, Water Quality Control Division (WQCD), and Bruce Stover, Director, Inactive Mine Reclamation Program of the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS). Mr. Pfaltzgraff stated that since August 5, 2015, CDPHE and the WQCD has been actively addressing the Gold King Mine Spill, which leaked contaminated water from the mine into the Las Animas River in southwest Colorado. He described the steps that were taken in order to protect the health of the residents in the area and along the Las Animas River. He also discussed the collaboration between WQCD other agencies, such as Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Colorado Department of Public Health and Safety to address the spill's impacts. Mr. Pfaltzgraff answered questions from the committee regarding the cost of responding to the spill and the testing of the water. He stated that WQCD has been working closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other agencies to cover such costs, and that long-term water quality monitoring is currently in the WQCD budget. Mr. Pfaltzgraff discussed how WQCD determines the toxicity of a river, as well as how WQCD monitors the basins in the state on a regular basis. He stated that WQCD compared the Las Animas River conditions after the Gold King Mine spill with the historical toxicity of the river, noting that the Las Animas River has been effected by mine leakage for some time.
01:43 PM
Mr. Stover provided some background about the Colorado Inactive Mine and Reclamation Program (CIMRP) and explained how CIMRP has been in contact with residents of the Las Animas Basin regarding the Gold King Mine Spill and how to avoid contamination from the spill. He stated that CIMRP has been working on stabilization of the portal of the mine to prevent its collapse, leaving the mine to drain freely. He stated that CIMRP has overseen the construction of a series of ponds in order to treat the water by raising its PH level. Mr. Stover stated that the addet involved in the spill had been collapsed since 2007. Mr. Stover responded to questions from the committee regarding the potential of further damage to the Las Animas River from mine spills.
01:51 PM
Mr. Pfaltzgraff stated that the WQCD is continuing to monitor the stream and communicating with the people in the area in order to ensure public safety. Mr. Pfaltzgraff stated that he was not satisfied with the response to the Gold King Mine spill, and WQCD is already working on ways to improve the response to future spills. He stated that WQCD has been working with the Southern Ute tribe to improve the communication between state agencies and the effected public. Mr. Pfaltzgraff stated that WQCD is working with the EPA to develop a more effective communication process to contact those who could be impacted by a spill. He also explained how the state is working with the EPA to monitor water quality in the river to see how long it takes to return to pre-spill conditions. Mr. Stover explained how DRMS works with the EPA to assess the threat of spills from abandoned mines. He also explained that the U.S. Department of Interior has commissioned an engineering and geotechnical investigation of the Gold King Mine spill to determine how it happened and identify ways to prevent such spills from happening in the future. In response to further questions from the committee Mr. Pfaltzgraff discussed plans to remediate abandoned mines in the state to prevent future mines spills.
02:02 PM
Mr. Stover responded to questions from the committee regarding measures to increase the capacity of ponds to treat mine discharge from the Gold King Mine and other mines in the area, as well as measures to prevent groundwater from seeping into abandoned mines.