Nearly six months after the Gold King mine blowout, and with Silverton still in limbo over Superfund, a sense that downstream communities should take a larger role in negotiations regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s hazardous cleanup program is growing.
At the San Juan Citizens Alliance’s quarterly meeting Wednesday, several Durango and La Plata County residents urged local officials to take the reigns in pursuing a Superfund designation in time to make the EPA’s March listing.
“San Juan County’s concerns are speculative,” said La Plata County resident Frank Lockwood. “Our concerns are not speculative. Ours are real. We’ve defined them economically, and I think our government officials should move forward.”
On Monday, the Durango City Council did just that. Councilor Dick White, in attendance, said the board sent a letter three days ago directing Gov. John Hickenlooper to request a Superfund listing.
La Plata County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt said a resolution was passed in support of Superfund status, though county commissioners have not yet made a decision whether to formally send a letter to the governor.
“We’ve made the point, I think very clearly that La Plata County was more impacted by the spill than Silverton and San Juan County,” Lachelt told the audience. “Because of that, I think Superfund, the EPA and the state really need to expand their definition of affected communities when they consider who they go to to seek Superfund status.”
The contention comes from a January meeting when Silverton town trustees and San Juan County commissioners decided to cancel a vote whether to pursue a Superfund designation to address the draining mine district north of town, responsible for degrading water quality in the Animas River.
Officials downstream were concerned the chance was missed to be included on the EPA’s March review session of polluting sites. The federal agency’s other consideration period is in September. And while the EPA is still figuring out whether it can grant an extension, for some members of the crowd estimated over 100 people, any further delay toward cleanup is a step in the wrong direction.
“We use the water for irrigation, so we have a personal stake in this,” said Clint Kearns, who lives in Hermosa. “We rely on the water as much or more as they do. So it would be really useful for Durango and La Plata County to take the lead.”
Kearns questioned whether Silverton and San Juan County’s list of demands were a “poison pill” to put off Superfund status, a program the community has strongly opposed for more than 20 years, citing concerns over a perceived stigma the designation would bring to a town dependent on a delicate tourism economy.
Three main points have emerged as a roadblock to federal intervention on the mines loading heavy metals into the Animas basin: the boundaries of the Superfund, reimbursements for costs associated to the blowout and an assurance local entities will have a seat at the table in future decision-making.