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This page contains an archive of the last 100 entries posted to ProgressNow.org Daily News Digest in the Environment and Conservation category. They are listed from newest to oldest. You can find older entries using the search box below.

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Environment and Conservation Archives

February 29, 2008

The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Bills submitted to fix, clean up Leadville tunnel

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204297679/10...
Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar submitted a bill Thursday seeking Congress to authorize $40 million in funding to fix a Leadville drainage tunnel. Colorado congressmen Doug Lamborn and Mark Udall also introduced legislation that makes a single federal agency responsible for removing up to 1 billion gallons of contaminated water trapped in the tunnel. Salazar's bill also would direct the Secretary of the Interior, along with the state and the EPA, to study whether the water quality downstream from and in the Arkansas River has been affected. “The residents of Leadville deserve straight answers to their concerns and straight fixes to the Leadville mine drainage tunnel that will avoid any contamination or harm to their homes,” Salazar said.
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Ritter OK so far with response to Leadville problem

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204297679/9...
Gov. Bill Ritter will push the federal government for as long as it takes to prevent a potential disaster with the Leadville Tunnel, he told a gathering of editors and reporters on Thursday. The governor said he's satisfied so far with the progress that the federal Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are making in dealing with about 1 billion gallons of toxic water that Park County officials fear could burst, contaminating the Arkansas River all the way to the Kansas border. Currently, the Bureau and the EPA plan to pump water from inside the mountain and send it to a nearby Reclamation water treatment plant.
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Top Stories: Lamborn, Udall back bill on cleanup of Leadville mine drainage tunnel | water, tunnel, leadville : Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/water_33647___article.html/tunnel_leadville.html...
Two lawmakers Thursday backed a measure to clear what they called a “legal blockage” to fixing the dammed-up Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Republican, held a telephone conference for reporters with Democratic Rep. Mark Udall to announce legislation that clarifies who is responsible for removing water backed up in an underground pool. Collapses in the tunnel have caused water to build up underground, leading to seepage into the Arkansas River and fears of a catastrophic blowout. “This will clearly put the responsibility for cleaning up the backlog of contaminated water, 1 billion gallons of it, with the (U.S.) Bureau of Reclamation,” said Lamborn, whose district includes Leadville. The two-mile tunnel, built during World War II, drains water from many of the historic mines outside Leadville. There has been little work on the tunnel over the years, largely because the Bureau of Reclamation runs a treatment plant at the mouth but does not view maintaining the tunnel as its responsibility.
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Bills seek to speed tunnel draining : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/29/bills-seek-to-speed-tunnel-dra...
Members of Colorado's congressional delegation introduced bills Thursday to untie bureaucratic knots delaying efforts to drain water backed up behind a collapsed Leadville tunnel. Bills were introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate to direct the Bureau of Reclamation to treat water pumped out of the mine drainage tunnel, and clarify that the agency has the legal authority to do so. "Interestingly enough, not only do we have a physical blockage with the tunnel, we have a legal blockage," said U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs. He joined with Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn, of Colorado Springs, on legislation designed to do away with questions over legal authority by federal agencies to deal with the problem. Lake County commissioners, weary of what they perceived to be bureaucratic delays, declared a state of emergency this month. The clogged tunnel, they said, threatens to burst, flooding a nearby community of homes and the Arkansas River with metals-contaminated water.
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Bills shift Leadville tunnel load to feds - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8400470...
The federal Bureau of Reclamation will take responsibility for the flooded Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel, whether the agency wants to or not, Capitol Hill lawmakers from Colorado said Thursday. Reps. Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Springs Republican, and Mark Udall, an Eldorado Springs Democrat, introduced legislation requiring the bureau to manage the tunnel and prevent future buildups of metals-laden mine runoff. Under the bill, the bureau also must shore up the structure to reduce the risk of collapse. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., introduced a similar bill. His legislation also would require the Interior Department to study whether the tunnel's water buildup has affected water quality in the Arkansas River. "We could have serious property damage and even loss of life" if the water blows out of the tunnel, Lam born said. The bureau has said that although it will drain the water in this emergency situation, it does not have the legal authority to do so in the future. At a congressional hearing this week, bureau Commissioner Robert Johnson said the EPA is responsible because the water is part of a Superfund site.
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The Longmont Times-Call - Bulldozers cut escape route out of Leadville

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=6888...
Emergency sirens and loudspeakers have been tested and sensors installed. Bulldozers have cut an escape route. Townspeople have been warned to assemble “grab-it-and-go” kits with first aid supplies, water, flashlights and blankets. A concealed threat is hanging over this old Wild West mining town: A billion gallons of toxic water is trapped in a collapsed drainage tunnel in the hills overlooking Leadville and could blow at any moment with devastating effect, sweeping away mobile homes in the town of 2,600. “I’m scared. It could happen while the kids are at school, when I’m home by myself or when we’re asleep,” said Kathy Medina, a homemaker in this winter tourist town lined with Victorian-era brick buildings, old-time saloons and an opera house where Harry Houdini, John Philip Sousa and Oscar Wilde performed. The danger is a legacy of Leadville’s long-gone boom years. Between the mid-1800s and the 1990s, gold, silver, lead, zinc and finally molybdenum, a substance used to harden steel, were extracted from the ground around this 10,200-foot-high town 100 miles west of Denver.
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Durango Herald Online - Senate panel approves defensible-space tax break

http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&articl...
Rural homeowners are one step closer to getting tax breaks for clearing flammable brush and dead trees. But senators still might vote the bill down over worries about the state budget. House Bill 1110 would let homeowners deduct half the cost of fire mitigation from their taxable income, as much as $5,000. At Colorado's current tax rate, that would translate to a maximum deduction of $116. The sponsor, Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Littleton, said the state needs a way to give rural homeowners an incentive to create firebreaks, because thinning projects won't be effective unless everyone in the neighborhood participates. The Senate Finance Committee approved the bill 4-1 Thursday. It now moves to the Appropriations Committee. Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, was the lone "no" vote. She is worried about giving out tax breaks that could reduce the budget in future years. The Legislature's budget experts predict the bill would cost the state $411,000 next year and $822,000 the year after.
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Grand Junction Sentinel - Environmental group complains about permit for Crested Butte mine

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/02/28/022908_3A_Enviros...
High Country Citizens’ Alliance, which has been fighting molybdenum mining on Mount Emmons for years, says a recent state permit approval could allow mining to start this spring. Bob Salter, mineral resources director for the alliance, said the state Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety recently approved changing the exploration permit for mining firm Kobex to create a new mine shaft instead of using the old Keystone Mine site, as originally planned. Salter said creating a new horizontal mine will harm the local water supply. He also claims that Kobex and partner U.S. Energy Corporation have misled the public in the past about their intentions toward mining on Mount Emmons, which locals call Red Lady.
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Governor says water tied to rural growth

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204297679/6...
Rural economies are tied to water and how it will be used in a “new energy economy,” Gov. Bill Ritter said Thursday. Ritter was the keynote speaker at the 17th annual Governors Forum on Colorado Agriculture. Strengthening foreign markets for state agricultural projects, increased production of crops for biofuels, developing more wind power and using farms to help take carbon out of the atmosphere are steps the state will take in the next few years, Ritter said. In the process, the decline of rural communities could be stopped. “We have to understand that agriculture is the fiber of the state,” Ritter said. “We’re challenged as a state with agriculture as to how we preserve that tradition for our children.”
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Pipeline environmental report to be released today

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204297679/2...
A draft environmental impact study on the proposed Southern Delivery System will be released today by the Bureau of Reclamation. Reclamation is considering seven alternatives, including a plan by Colorado Springs to build a 66-inch-diameter pipeline 43 miles north from Pueblo Dam. The $1.1 billion project could be on line as soon as 2012 and would serve Colorado Springs, Fountain and Security. Pueblo West would tap into the line if the route from the dam is chosen. SDS would serve the water needs of the communities through 2046 and pump up to 78 million gallons per day to El Paso County communities. Colorado Springs is paying for and will receive 95 percent of the benefit from the project. The draft EIS will contain a specific recommendation for the SDS route, and is open for review and comment for 60 days, said Kara Lamb, Reclamation public affairs officer.
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Vail Daily - Green ideas mean investments for Avon

http://vaildaily.com/article/20080228/NEWS/391795413...
Avon is still grappling with some of the big environmental ideas, the ones that would take major investments but could also have some of the biggest pay-offs. “These tend to cost more money up front, but in the long term, they will save money,” said Jenny Strehler, director of public works. For instance: should the town start installing solar power systems on new or existing buildings? They cost a lot of money, and can take 25 to 30 years to pay back. But, it is a renewable source of energy, one that never runs out. Streets in the new downtown are being designed to include solar-powered lighting, but beyond that, it’s hard to say now how extensively solar energy will be used in Avon in the future. Town planners are studying what sort of solar power, if any, would work best for the town.
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The Coloradoan - Fort Collins couple's dream 'green' home going on the market

http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080229/NEWS01/802290312/1002/...
It's not uncommon for Dan and Katharine Gregory to have a $7.08 utility bill for their 2,800-square-foot house. The couple's house runs completely on electricity, 70 percent of which is generated through the 35 solar panels that sit on the south side of the roof. A geo exchange system uses the earth's heat to warm the house and displaces the house's heat back into the earth to cool it. The entirely green house is the couple's dream home. But it's also going on the market. The winner of the Colorado Built Green Home of the Year award in 2006 and the 2008 EnergyValue Housing Award, the Gregorys are ready to sell the house and move back to their old neighborhood. "It's never a good idea to speculate," said Lara Williams, a certified eco-broker and founder of the Green Team Real Estate. "But I think there will be a lot of interest in this house." The Gregorys have not set a date to put the house up for sale but plan to ask for $450,000 when they do.
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Larger lynx refuge proposed : State and West : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/29/larger-lynx-refuge-proposed/...
Wildlife advocates were cautious as they waited to see whether the proposal would stick, while some were upset no area in the southern Rockies was included. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday it wants to designate 42,753 square miles in six states that could come under tighter federal oversight as critical habitat. That's more than 20 times the 1,841 square miles in three states the agency designated in late 2006. A final decision might not come until Feb. 15, 2009. Fish and Wildlife said it was accepting public comments on the proposal until April 28. The agency reconsidered its earlier rulings about the lynx and seven other species after allegations that Julie MacDonald, a deputy assistant secretary of the interior, interfered in the decisions. She has resigned. States where land would now be designated as critical lynx habitat are Maine, Minnesota, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming.
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Canada lynx "critical habitat" leaves Colorado out of it again - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8400471...
Colorado has again been left out of the "critical habitat" area for the Canada lynx, despite the state's effort to bring back the threatened species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday proposed an expanded territory for the reclusive cat across the northern Rockies Colorado's reintroduced population of an estimated 125 lynx was not yet "biologically sustainable," the agency said. Conservationists said not having a critical habitat designation, which requires federal and private landowners to take into consideration the impact of land-use activities on species recovery, was a setback.
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Summit Daily News - Division of Wildlife sends out moose alert

http://summitdaily.com/article/20080228/NEWS/584453075...
The Colorado Division of Wildlife is reminding Summit residents and visitors that moose are common ... and a little jittery. “Surprising a moose is never a good idea,” said Kirk Oldham, district wildlife manager for the Grand Lake area. According to the Division of Wildlife, it is important for people to be aware that moose are generally found in places where willows grow. Willow is the preferred food of moose and tall willow stands provide not only food but protection from danger. People hiking around willow stands should be alert to the possible presence of moose. Another dangerous situation can occur when people are out with their dogs. “I would say that 95 percent of the moose incidents I hear about start with someone saying ‘I was walking my dog when ...’” added Oldham. “Because wolves are a moose’s main natural predator, moose are extremely aggressive toward dogs, regardless of the dog’s domestic nature.”
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February 28, 2008

The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Officials say elusive zebra mussels still cause for concern

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204213176/15...
Although divers have failed to turn up any colonies of zebra mussels in Lake Pueblo, state and federal officials are still concerned more will begin showing up when water temperatures warm. “They begin breeding when water temperatures reach 52 degrees (Fahrenheit), and that’s usually mid-April for Lake Pueblo,” said Peter Soeth, spokesman for the Bureau of Reclamation. Divers will return to Lake Pueblo then to resume their search for evidence of the spread of zebra mussels, after finding nothing alarming as of Wednesday. Last week, cameras failed to locate any colonies of zebra mussels, indicating they have been detected early, but there is still concern they could spread this year. Two shells of mussels were found attached to a substrate device - basically a plastic pipe suspended on rope - in November. Subsequent testing found larvae in the water, which DNA testing later confirmed as zebra mussels. Biologists are concerned because the larvae indicate the mussels have bred at least once.
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Ritter: State may join land trust probe - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8385843...
Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday said the attorney general's and district attorney's offices may get involved in an investigation into abuses of the state's conservation easement program. The Colorado Division of Real Estate launched an investigation in November, issuing 30 subpoenas to people who were connected to deals involving five ranches and an Arvada land trust, then called Noah Land Conservation. More recently, it subpoenaed the records of The Greenlands Reserve, a Summit County-based land trust. Speaking at the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts conference, Ritter said the next step is to talk to the district attorney and attorney general.
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Big snowpack's melt could bring a wet, dirty surprise - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8387621...
Lawmakers fretted Wednesday over what would happen if a major dust storm coated the state's voluminous snowpack before the spring runoff. "If we had dust layers in there like we've had in previous years, potentially we'd be looking at buying sandbags," said Sen. Jim Isgar, D-Hesperus. The comments came during a morning joint Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee meeting, at which a researcher told lawmakers how dust storms that dirty mountain snowpack reduce the snow's reflectivity and cause faster runoff. Earlier melting usually means the water comes too soon to help farmers, said Rep. Rafael Gallegos, D-Antonito. But with seasonal snowpack levels reaching as high as 173 percent of average, a faster runoff could also cause widespread flooding.
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Wyo. ozone alert stirs debate - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8385328...
Wyoming officials issued an unprecedented health alert Wednesday in a rural gas-drilling area for a buildup of ozone — usually a summertime air pollutant in urban areas. The Pinedale area had high ozone readings a week after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency criticized the federal Bureau of Land Management for planning thousands of new gas wells in the area without adequate air-quality protection. "This should be a wake-up call for the Bureau of Land Management," said Linda Baker, director of the Upper Green River Valley Coalition. "What's going to happen to our air when we have 4,400 . . . additional wells, as the BLM proposes?" In Colorado, state regulators are targeting gas wells as a major contributor to the Denver metro area's troublesome ozone levels and are considering new restrictions on equipment and operations.
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Mine Water Poses Danger of a Toxic Gusher - New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/28leadville.html?ref=us...
For years, the federal Bureau of Reclamation and the Environmental Protection Agency have bickered over what to do about the aging tunnel, which stretches 2.1 miles and has become dammed by debris. The debris is holding back more than a billion gallons of water, much of it tainted with toxic levels of cadmium, zinc and manganese. The threat posed by the tunnel is the latest misfortune for the town, which is grappling with the wreckage of more than a century of mining. “Everybody made a lot of money in Leadville,” said Ken Olsen, a county commissioner. “They left years ago, and we’ve had to clean up after them ever since.” In the late 1800s, a gold and silver boom made Leadville one of Colorado’s most colorful places, drawing the likes of the Guggenheims. Legend has it that Doc Holliday fought his final gunfight here. Gold and silver gave way to zinc and lead mining, encouraged by the federal government for the war effort during World War II and the Korean War. Molybdenum, used to fortify steel, was blasted out of the mountains for years at the Climax mine.
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The Coloradoan - Farmers to deal with more water woes as state grows

http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080228/NEWS01/802280372/1002/...
Farmers will face additional struggles to make sure they have enough water as the state's population continues to grow, the state's agriculture commissioner told Fort Collins Rotary Club members Wednesday. Less water will be available for irrigation as more houses are built, said John Stulp, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture. "As you grow houses you need to water people," he said. "The demand for water is going to get greater." The demand for green energy should help the agriculture business he said, as farmers are increasingly called upon to raise crops that can be used to create biofuels. He compared the price of oil to an "800-pound guerrilla in the corner of the room." He also said the need for green energy will help generate jobs in rural areas, which should encourage young people to remain on farms and in agri-businesses. Also on Wednesday, the club honored Bill Markham and his family with the Master Agriculturist Award.
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The Coloradoan - 'Intersex' fish found in RMNP

http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080228/NEWS01/802280383/1002/...
Trout found in five lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park have both male and female sex organs, says a massive new federal report highlighting the problems that air pollution poses for national parks. The report released by the Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project said detectable levels of contaminants ranging from mercury to two banned insecticides and a flame-retardant chemical treatment were found in eight parks in the western United States, including Rocky. The report said air pollution from coal-burning power plants is a major source of contamination, which can drift in the atmosphere for long distances before being dropped in rain or snow. "It's certainly a cautionary lesson that supports that what goes up into our air does come down," said Rocky spokeswoman Kyle Patterson. "Parks are not immune from human activities from hundreds or even thousands of miles away." The report said the pollution could have many different ramifications and that more study is needed. "In Rocky Mountain and Glacier national parks, some individual trout were 'intersex,'" the report said. "This condition is commonly associated with exposure to certain contaminants (dieldrin and DDT) that mimic the hormone estrogen.”
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Policing conservation tax credits : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/guv-vows-hard-look-land-conser...
Colorado must step up efforts to police an innovative conservation tax-credit program to ensure that questionable deals are stopped and that the public interest is protected, Gov. Bill Ritter said Wednesday. "We do not stop programs we have helping us protect land in this state," Ritter told a packed room of open-space officials. "At the same time, we have to assure people there is not fraud and abuse." The program gives lucrative state income tax credits to landowners who agree to prohibit development on their properties using legal tools known as conservation easements. The tax credits then can be sold for cash. Investigations by the Colorado Division of Real Estate and the Department of Revenue are likely to be handed over to the Colorado attorney general and could result in criminal and civil prosecutions by the state, Ritter and other state officials said.
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The state of town’s carbon footprint: decreasing slightly - Telluride, CO - The Daily Planet

http://www.telluridenews.com/news/x565324813...
In 2007, the levels of carbon dioxide burped out by town-owned vehicles, by the generation of lights and computers in town offices, by the operation of the water treatment plant, the ice rink, the Galloping Goose, the campground restrooms and all other public facilities, was roughly 7.2 million pounds. The good news: This represents a 6 percent decrease in the town government’s carbon footprint from 2006, when carbon output was roughly 7.67 million pounds. This is a positive step for Telluride, which cemented its intent to reduce its carbon footprint in recent years by signing onto The Canary Initiative, The US Mayors Climate Protection Initiative and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization — a trio of organizations bent on reversing climate change.
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CU lecture on solar activity and climate change : CU News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/27/cu-lecture-solar-activity-and-climate-ch...
The Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado is sponsoring a talk on how solar activity may have affected parts of the "little ice age." The 1600s brought an unusually cold period during the little ice age. Tom Woods will talk about how this historical climate change may have been affected by solar activity. Woods will discuss current understanding based on satellite measurements of variations in the sun, which will establish what extent solar influences play in our climate today.
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Rico exhales as Bolero mining deal dies - Telluride, CO - The Daily Planet

http://www.telluridenews.com/news/x2052201974...
For tiny Rico, everything is as it was before whispers of mining’s return crept through the floorboards. A deal that would have brought large-scale molybdenum mining to the hills above Rico is dead, some three months after it was supposed to close, according to a press release from Bolero Resources Corp. CEO R. Bruce Duncan. “Bolero’s due diligence investigations could not be satisfactorily addressed to permit the entering into of a definitive agreement,” reads the release, which appeared yesterday morning on a Canadian business and media Web site, CNW Telbec. Some celebrated, happy to nix mining from the local lexicon for the second time.
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The Steamboat Pilot & Today: Yampa Valley Recycles selling reusable bags

http://steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/feb/28/yampa_valley_recycles_selling_reusabl...
The numbers associated with the consumption of plastic bags are staggering. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 380 billion bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year. The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, at an estimated cost to retailers of $4 billion. The bags are said to take more than 1,000 years to decompose. “These plastic bags — they are just a disaster,” Catherine Carson said. Carson is a member of Yampa Valley Recycles, a group that is launching a reusable shopping bag program in Routt County. The group has purchased 5,000 of the polypropylene bags, which it plans to sell for $1 each.
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Aurora fixes water-odor problem - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8383225...
A leaky value allowed about 300 gallons of untreated stormwater runoff into a 60-inch water pipeline in Aurora today, causing slight taste and odor problems but no known health risks, Aurora Water said. About 3,200 customers were affected in a 2-square-mile bordered by Mississippi and Jewell avenues and Wheeling to Dayton streets. The problem was quickly fixed, the line flushed and water samples sent to to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment as a precautionary measure, said Aurora Water spokeswoman Meghan Hughes.
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February 27, 2008

The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Fountain suit lawyers make final pitch

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204126358/8...
The Sierra Club is suggesting an array of monetary penalties against Colorado Springs in its post-trial filing, but is stressing corrective action as a remedy against future releases of raw sewage into Fountain Creek. Meanwhile, Colorado Springs argues Sierra Club has “drastically reduced” the injunctive relief it seeks in the case and is asking the city to put measures in place that are already in place. Post-trial documents were filed this week in Denver federal court and generally point the way to what Judge Walker Miller will consider as he writes an order in the case. The case was heard in an eight-day trial that concluded Feb. 8 after more that two years of legal wrangling. Pueblo District Attorney Bill Thiebaut also filed a lawsuit in federal court, but Miller denied him standing in the case. “We brought this lawsuit to protect the public health of the downstream community, as well as Colorado Springs,” said Eric Huber, Sierra Club attorney. “Since we filed and the district attorney filed, Colorado Springs snapped into action. So, something positive has already happened.”
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Water utilities eye change in climate : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/utilities-seek-regional-climat...
Denver Water and seven of the nation's largest water utilities are joining forces to help battle climate change and protect water supplies. "Historically, water utilities operated on a strictly local basis," said Denver Water Manager Chips Barry. "But this change is going to affect everybody." The group first began meeting more than a year ago but now has organized formally to try to better guide federal research efforts on climate change and water supplies, among other things. "There is a fair amount of federal money that goes into climate-related research," Barry said. "We would like to direct that money so that it is more relevant and effective. There are about 20 worldwide climate models, but none of them operate on a scale small enough to tell you what is going to happen in a region."
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Agency not waiting to drain tunnel - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8371928...
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is working "as quickly as we can" to remove contaminated water in the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel, the agency's leader told a House panel Tuesday. "We're not going to wait for the risk assessment to get done before we take action to start removing the water," said Robert Johnson, commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. The bureau wants that study to determine "exactly what is the nature of the risk," Johnson said. Johnson answered questions about the drainage tunnel at a hearing of the House Committee on Resources, Science & Technology's subcommittee on water and power. Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Udall of Eldorado Springs said after the hearing that he plans to introduce legislation that would give the Bureau of Reclamation authority to remove the water. The agency said it lacks that power, although it is removing the water on an emergency basis. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, is likely to co-sponsor that bill.
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Udall asks feds to decide who should remove tunnel water : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/udall-asks-feds-to-decide-who-...
Congressman Mark Udall asked federal officials Tuesday to resolve their disagreements over who has authority to remove up to 1 billion gallons of water trapped in the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. The Eldorado Springs Democrat said there had been enough "finger pointing" among federal agencies and that it was time to find a long-term solution.
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Udall urges federal agencies to work with state on mine tunnel - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8368486...
U.S. Rep. Mark Udall asked federal officials Tuesday to resolve their disagreements over who has authority to remove up to one billion gallons of water trapped in a Leadville drainage tunnel. The Eldorado Springs Democrat said there had been enough "finger pointing" by federal officials and it was time to find a long-term solution to the clogged Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. "Let's move ahead and solve this thing," Udall told Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Robert Johnson during a hearing Tuesday. Lake County officials declared a state of emergency for fear that growing water pressure in the tunnel could cause a catastrophic blowout and flood the town. The tunnel drains contaminated water from abandoned mine shafts. A collapse inside the tunnel was first detected in 1995, allowing water to back up in hundreds of shafts. During the hearing, Colorado Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn asked Johnson whether he was aware of the what could happen if a billion gallons of water contaminated with metals were to burst into the town of Leadville. "I am very aware, believe me," Johnson said. "I think all I can say is we are moving as quickly as we can."
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Home Depot fined over clean water laws : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/home-depot-fined-over-clean-wa...
Home Depot has agreed to pay a $1.3 million fine to resolve allegations it failed to follow clean water laws at 30 construction sites in 28 states, including three sites in Colorado. The settlement, filed Tuesday in federal court in Delaware, includes a $30,000 payment to Colorado, according to Mark Salley, a spokesman for the state's Department of Public Health and Environment. Home Depot allegedly failed to obtain proper environmental permits before starting work, and failed to take steps to prevent silt, dirt and debris from flowing off construction sites during rainstorms, according to court papers. The Colorado sites included two in Aurora and one in Evergreen.
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State agency subpoenas land trust's records : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/state-agency-subpoenas-land-tr...
The Colorado Division of Real Estate has subpoenaed the records of a small nonprofit land trust, Greenlands Reserve, whose conservation easements have generated $25 million in state tax credits. Conservation easements are legal tools that limit development on scenic private lands and working ranches. In exchange for giving up development rights, landowners are given lucrative tax credits that can be sold for cash. At issue in the state investigation is whether tax credits have been granted to protect lands whose value has been inflated, or to protect lands that offer little public conservation benefit. The subpoena to Greenlands was issued last week, according to Erin Toll, real estate division director. The land trust was one of several organizations whose easements were detailed in a Rocky Mountain News series two weeks ago.
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NCAR director going to National Science Foundation - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8372663...
Timothy Killeen, director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, will become the National Science Foundation's new geosciences assistant director in July. In his new role, Killeen will oversee a budget of about $752 million annually in support of research projects around the country in the atmospheric, earth and ocean sciences, from climate change to earthquakes. Killeen has directed NCAR since 2000, and is the president of the American Geophysical Union. NCAR employs about 1,000 people in Boulder, who study climate change, weather forecasting, atmospheric chemistry and pollution, storms, sun and space weather.
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - County sides with water district over rules irrigation efficiency

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204126358/17...
The Pueblo County Board of Commissioners joined the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District Tuesday in asking the state water engineer to delay a decision regarding new irrigation efficiency rules. The board adopted a resolution urging the engineer to defer a decision on the so-called Division 2 irrigation efficiency rules until a number of concerns can be addressed. The board resolution asked the engineers to convene a task force with surface irrigators in the Arkansas River Basin to be certain such rules are necessary.
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Conduit twists through funding pipeline

http://pueblochieftain.com/metro/1204126358/16...
The route to the Arkansas Valley Pipeline will be paved with paper. An advisory committee was told Tuesday that it will take at least four more months and about $30,000 to pry loose a $600,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant designed to continue work on making the conduit a reality. “It’s a true bureaucracy,” said Phil Reynolds, project manager for the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, which is spearheading the project.
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The Coloradoan - Budget falls short for climate goals

http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080227/NEWS01/802270303/1002/...
City Council members learned Tuesday night it will be nearly impossible for Fort Collins to meet its self-imposed Climate Action Plan goals to reduce communitywide greenhouse gas 30 percent by 2010. A task force examining short-term goals to get the city back on track to meet the 2010 goal presented proposals with a $14 million price tag during Tuesday's study session. Options include public awareness campaigns, continued recycling and waste reduction programs, and the purchase of renewable energy credits, among others.
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City in a race with other municipalities | News | The Tribune

http://greeleytribune.com/article/20080227/NEWS/312313715...
Greeley residents pay 90 cents for almost two days of water, but they may end up paying $90 million to ensure Greeley's water future. Greeley doesn't need water now, but it will by 2030, when demand for water from residents and businesses will outpace supply, said Jon Monson, Greeley's director of water and sewer, in a presentation to the Greeley City Council Tuesday night. Moreover, Greeley should buy water years ahead of demand because competition from other municipalities such as Aurora will make the resource difficult to purchase in the future when the city needs it, said Harold Evans, chairman of the Greeley Water Board. The idea: Buy 10,000 extra acre-feet of water now and expand the Milton Seaman Reservoir to hold extra water so Greeley will have the water it needs for the projected 240,000 people the city may be home to by 2050. An acre-foot of water can provide two families enough water for a year.
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Speaker: Irrigation wells not only concern for South Platte | News | The Tribune

http://greeleytribune.com/article/20080227/NEWS/673455610...
There are 10.5 million acre-feet of water under the South Platte River that is not being used and it's time the Colorado General Assembly allows irrigation well owners be allowed to use that water in drought conditions. That was the message from Robert Longenbaugh Tuesday evening, who also said well users are not the only ones who are effecting the flow of the South Platte River, but "nobody is talking about those and they have more a more significant impact than wells." Longenbaugh was the featured speaker at a meeting that drew about 250 people to the auditorium of Valley High School organized by Equity In The South Platte River Basin Committee. Longenbaugh spent 30 years with the State Engineer's office.
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Erie's natural areas documented : Erie : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/27/eries-natural-areas-documented/...
As homes and businesses abound where there were once open fields in Erie, the town has not discounted the natural areas that remain. In fact, it's counted them.
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Cloud-seeding halted over concerns - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8372662...
Even as wildlife managers were feeding deer deprived of grazing land by deep snowdrifts in the Gunnison Basin, clouds were being seeded to bring more precipitation in another part of the county. In the southern part of the basin around Slumgullion Pass and other areas, the snowpack hadn't been deep enough to cut off the seeding project, said Joe Busto, a staffer on the Colorado Water Conservation Board's watershed-protection and flood-mitigation section. But public concern over wildlife and snow removal halted the seeding as of Monday. The program helps boost the watershed and snowpack in an area that depends heavily on outdoor recreation to feed its economy, said Jane Wyman, Gunnison County weather-modification coordinator. The Crested Butte ski resort accounts for much of the county's tourism revenue. The snow seeding program there and in other northern areas of the county was stopped more than a month ago when winter storms boosted the snowpack.
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Council has a Battle Mountain on its hands - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8372804...
Developer Bobby Ginn saw something no one else could see in the mine-polluted hills above this former railroad town. It was so clear to him that, more than three years ago, he plunked down $32.75 million for the 5,300 acres of steep forest and toxic mining claims. Since then, he has done everything he can to persuade the leaders of the small town of Minturn to share his vision for a private ski area, a golf course and 1,700 luxury homes on a mountainous parcel that nearby Vail Resorts once considered more suited to conservation than development. Tonight, the Florida-based chief of a billion-dollar-a-year resort real-estate-development firm will know how well he conveyed his dream when the Minturn Town Council renders a final vote on annexing land for the proposed resort, known as Battle Mountain. With four of seven council seats up for election in April, it happens now or the whole approval process begins anew.
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