Legislators introduce bipartisan effort to guarantee the safety of Colorado’s water and to “lift the veil of secrecy” around uranium mining
Denver – Northern Colorado legislators introduced a bipartisan policy package today to protect Colorado’s water supplies from radioactive pollution. The legislators introduced two bills protecting Coloradans from irresponsible uranium mining and ensuring local government authority to protect communities from public health threats.
“We’re on the verge of a new mining boom in Colorado, but it could leave behind a toxic legacy,” said Rep. Randy Fischer (D – Fort Collins). “We need to encourage responsible mining practices and ensure that Colorado’s communities and our waters are protected.” Newly formed foreign mining companies, including Powertech Uranium Corp. have proposed these potentially dangerous projects across Colorado.
The bill comes as a response to landowners and others close to the proposed Weld County uranium mine who have been fighting the uranium industry for months out of concern that mining will jeopardize their health, drinking water and property. Robin Davis of Nunn, Colorado shared, “We are scared that the mine will make our kids sick and contaminate our drinking water.” She brought her horses to the Capitol to emphasize, “Sick horses aren’t working horses. Without our livestock, we lose our livelihood.”
The first bill will protect Colorado’s water from radioactive and heavy metal pollution from in-situ leach uranium mining. The bill requires mining companies to prove that they will restore ground water aquifers to their pre-mining quality before companies can be allowed to mine. The bill is sponsored in the House by Rep. Randy Fischer (D-Fort Collins) and Rep. John Kefalas (D – Fort Collins) and in the Senate by Sen. Steve Johnson (R – Fort Collins) and Sen. Bob Bacon (D – Fort Collins).
“Rural Colorado depends on clean water,” said Sen. Johnson. “We need to ensure uranium mining happens responsibly and doesn’t degrade groundwater quality for Colorado farmers and ranchers.”
The in-situ leach mining process involves injecting chemicals into aquifers to force out or leach radioactive uranium ore through the aquifer. This uranium mining can release toxic metals such as arsenic, selenium, and uranium, poisoning the groundwater and surrounding landscape.
“We shouldn’t expose our precious water resources to radioactive and heavy metal pollution. We need sensible groundwater protections from potentially dangerous uranium mining,” said Rep. John Kefalas.
The second bill would lift the veil of secrecy to ensure that citizens are better informed about what the uranium industry is doing in their backyards, and would affirm local government authority to protect water quality and the health and safety of their communities from hazardous mining practices. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Fischer, Rep. Kefalas, and Senators Shaffer and Bacon.
The need for a bill to protect local government authority over toxic chemical use at mine sites comes as an ongoing lawsuit filed by the Colorado Mining Association threatens to strip that local authority.
“Colorado’s rivers, streams and communities lie in the shadow of the Summitville mining disaster,” said Rep. Fischer. “Mining can be an important part of our economy, but local governments and citizens have a right to know what the mining companies are planning in their communities. Citizens must be informed of and able to determine which types of mining are acceptable to them. The long-term human and economic health of our state depends on preserving our water resources.”
In 1992, Colorado saw one of the country’s worst mining disaster in which toxic pollution killed a 17-mile stretch of the Alamosa River. This single mine has cost taxpayers more than $200 million and counting to clean-up.
“Because toxic mining practices can cause irreparable harm, we need to ensure local governments have the ability to protect their communities, “said Sen. Shaffer.
Both bills will be introduced in the House today. Bills numbers, titles and committee assignments can be found on the General Assembly Website: http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/CLICS2008A/csl.nsf/BillFoldersSponsor?OpenFrameSet
-- Posted by staff
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