News Article: Mine, River Cleanup

Durango Herald Online Page 1 of 3 1136569-R8 SDMS 37.4"-E, 1.0 mph DurangoHeraid.com M . ffOCT ^"'*''^*'V FiiMmcUil Sotutmn* in La Plata County sinc< THEDUEANGOffl^RALD ' NATIONAL Real people. Real soludon •^ BANI(»ootm>eo (970)247-3020 wmtMbJksrtjngo.co Navigate Site News Keyword: Mine, river cleanup - with a twist E Bill pitches 'Samaritan' status for groups with stake in Animas P April 2, 2006 By Dale Rodebaugh | IHet^ld Staff Writer Groups with a stake in the health of the Animas River are betting that a new approach to cleaning up abandoned mines has a chance - where others have failed - of reducing acidic waste draining into the Animas and its tributaries. A bill introduced Thursday in the U.S. House by Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa, would create a demonstration "Good Samaritan" project limited to the Animas River watershed. Salazar's bill has a 10-year sunset clause - language that shields public and private parties involved in cleanup from liability, with no requirement to amend the Clean Water Act, according to Bill Simon, coordinator of the Animas River Stakeholders. The Animas River Stakeholders would be a Samaritan under Salazar's bill, which focuses on mines for which there are no known owners or operators to shoulder responsibility for cleanup, Simon said. The group would look to member organizations, mining companies, the federal government and others to pay for cleanup. "It makes a lot of sense," Simon said Friday. "We all agree that we need a Good Samaritan cleanup program, so I think that if we get attention from the right people we have a good chance." Supporters hope the Salazar bill will set an example for what can be done to clean up thousands of mines, most of them abandoned, in the West. Two other mine-cleanup bills were introduced Thursday, one in the House by Mark Udall, D-Boulder, the other by Colorado senators Ken Salazar, the brother of John Salazar, and Wayne Allard. The Udall and Salazar/Allard bills have national scope. "We've been involved in the effort to clean up the Animas for a long time," Simon said. "We've seen other mine- cleanup bills introduced, but they never made it out of committee." Unsuccessful mine-cleanup legislation included bills by two former Colorado legislators - Rep. Scott Mclnnis and Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell. Peter Butler, a member of Animas River Stakeholders, said disagreement between environmental and mining interests on language of the legislation prevented progress. The provisions of the pilot project appear to have broken the logjam, he said. $14 for The Animas group has hung a high-priority label on 33 draining mines in the upper Animas River watershed, said $48 Butler, a former board member ofthe Colorado Water Quality Control Commission. The stakeholders have sampled water in 175 mines in the upper Animas watershed, Butler said. Ninety percent of pollutants come from the 33 mines. Overall, there are some 1,500 old mines across the watershed, he said. http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/... 4/3/2006 Durango Herald Online Page 2 of 3 "Since we've done more than any other organization on this type on mine issue, this is the place for a pilot program," Butler said. •BaviloUi'. r r Said Simon: "If we can do what we want to do, we can bring the Animas River up to Clean Water Act aquatic-life standards." 1 ttlt'S? 1 ,lki - Acidic mine waste carries high concentrations of such dissolved metals as arsenic, zinc, cadmium, copper, selenium and lead. Polluted water can seep from a mine itself or from tailings. lisiinas.' The Animas River Stakeholders, founded in 1994, is a group of more than 30 federal, state and local agencies, private organizations and landowners who are interested in the Animas River. Rl:Afl:Y]'fcl& "In 11 years, we've put $28 million, including $3 million in volunteer services, into mine cleanup," Simon said. "The money went to investigation and remediation." Fifty mines in the Animas River basin have been cleaned up in the past dozen years. But liability concerns and ongoing fmancial obligations often keep Samaritans from taking on draining mines. In the case of a draining mine, the Clean Water Act requires an active treatment plant that has to operate in perpetuity. John Salazar's legislation, HB 5071, would limit liability, allowing Good Samaritans to do what they can to reduce pollution originating in mines but not hold them accountable for ongoing responsibility or expenses. Salazar sits on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which would hold the first hearing on the bill, and its Water and Resources subcommittee. When introducing his bill, Salazar said that current mine-cleanup regulations create unnecessary roadblocks for groups wanting to help. Salazar said his legislation would help protect water quality in the Four Corners "and allow the rest of the nation to see a working example of community-driven, government-supported mine cleanup." daler@durangoheraldlcom SPONSORED LINKS Do Sex Pheromones Work? Real Reviews of which Ones Actually Attract Women and which Don't! www.pheromonereviewsite.com Lower Blood Pressure Clinically proven to lower blood pressure without side effects. www.resperate.cpm Replacement Window Quotes Free information before you buy www.windowbuyer.com RateGenius Auto Refi Refinance your vehicle at no cost with us and save yourself thousands. www.rategenius.com Chevrolet Colorado Price ... Get a great deal on a Chevrolet Colorado with the edmunds.com pricing www.edmunds.com Ads By ContextWeb Cortez Journal | inside Outside | SW Colorado Home | WebDurango | SW Colorado Guide | H http://diirangoherald.com/asp-bin/article generation.asp?article type=news&article path=/... 4/3/2006 .

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