Citizen Superfund Workgroup Meetings

Beginning in the fall of 2017!

Citizen Superfund Workgroup

Sponsored by:  Trout Unlimited, Animas River Stakeholders Group, Animas Watershed Partnership  and the Animas River Community Forum

We invite you to participate in a short series of public meetings to engage in the Superfund process to address the draining mines of the upper Animas River watershed.  All interests and stakeholders are invited.  There will be an educational component to each meeting.  We will be setting goals for the cleanup and making recommendations to the EPA’s Superfund team.  All meetings to be held in Durango, except for the site tour of the upper watershed in September.

Schedule of events:

• Meeting #1 – History
  • August 23, 2017 (Wed)
  • La Plata County Commissioners’ conference room – 1101 E. 2nd Avenue, Durango
  • 6-8PM
  • Topic:  “How’d we get here?” – History of mining in Silverton and timeline of events.  Understand the history of mining and mine remediation in the upper watershed.
• Meeting #2 – Bonita Peak Superfund Site Tour
  • September 9, 2017 (Sat)
  • Meet at the Silverton Visitor’s Center (large yellow building at the intersection of Highway 550 and Silverton’s Green Street)
  • 9AM – mid-afternoon
  • Topic: We’ll visit various sites in San Juan County, including:  past remediation sites, Gladstone area (Gold King & the EPA’s post-Gold King spill interim water treatment plant), Mayflower mill and others as time allows
  • Bring a sack lunch, snacks, water, rain jacket and sunscreen
  • We’ll ride-share once everyone convenes in Silverton (at meeting #1 we’ll go into more detail and arrange rides)
• Meeting #3 – Understanding mining cleanup policy and regulatory process (Good Samaritan, Superfund, 1872 General Mining Act)
  • October 25, 2017 (Wed)
  • Durango Rec Center (2700 Main Ave., Durango)
  • 6-8PM
  • Topic:  Understand current mining cleanup laws.  Learn how Superfund will be employed near Silverton, and what role Good Samaritan legislation can do for other watersheds.  Understand why the General Mining Act of 1872 does not provide money for cleanups.
• Meeting #4 – Animas River conditions, past/current water quality and aquatic/environmental health
  • January 24, 2018 (Wed)
  • Durango Public Library
  • 6-8PM
  • Topic:  Learn the past and current water quality conditions of the Animas.  Understand variable water quality conditions from top to bottom.  Learn about current monitoring efforts and ongoing environmental conditions.
• Meeting #5 – Goal Setting
  • February 21, 2018
  • Durango Recreation Center
  • 6-8PM
  • Topic:  Having been informed about the history of the area, the mining cleanup policies in place, the current conditions of the Animas and other tools, we will begin to formulate a set of ‘Citizen Goals’.  We anticipate creating a ‘report’ of sorts, including our citizen recommendations for measures of success and Superfund cleanup objectives. We will present this set of goals to the EPA’s Superfund team to consider in their remediation plan.
• Meeting #6
  • March 21, 2018
  • La Plata County Commissioner’s Boardroom (1101 E. 2^nd Ave., Durango)
  • 6-8PM
  • Topic:  At the last meeting the group refined the list of ‘desired outcomes’, then voted for each person’s top three goals in priority.  From this, we will create a draft ‘report’ of the group’s findings, based on the voting of the group in-person, and from those who emailed-in their top three priorities.  At this March meeting we’ll review the report and further discuss.  This report of the groups goals and priorities was the major purpose for the workgroup’s formation – so your input and participation are needed now more than ever.  Please join us!!
• Other meetings – We will schedule additional meetings if the group deems it necessary

For more information or to ask questions, please call Ty at 970-259-5116×11 or email sanjuancleanwater@gmail.com

JOIN US.  Be informed, have a voice

Citizens Superfund Workgroup Documents and Presentations

• Meeting #1 (Aug 2017)
  • Topic:  Summary of Mining History and Water Quality
  • Documents:
    • Agenda (Word Document)
    • Presentation (by Peter)  (Powerpoint File)
• Meeting #2 (Sept 2017)
  • Bonita Peak Mining District site tour
• Meeting #3 (Oct 2017)
  • Topic:  Mining Remediation Policy & Law
  • Documents:
    • Agenda (Word Document)
    • Presentation (by Ty)  (Powerpoint File)
• Meeting #4 (January 2018)
  • Topic:  Animas River current conditions – water quality and aquatic health
  • Documents:
    • Agenda (Word document)
    • Desired Outcomes from Citizens (Word document)
    • Presentations (PowerPoint/PDF documents)
      • Animas Water Quality (Peter Butler – ARSG) (Powerpoint)
      • Aquatic Insect Health (Scott Roberts – MSI) (PDF)
      • Fishery Health (Jim White – CPW) (Powerpoint)
• Meeting #5 (February 2018)
  • Topic: Goal Setting
  • Documents:
    • Agenda (Word document)
    • Desired Outcomes (Word document)
    • Relevance and Use of Desired Outcomes (Word document)
    • Sunnyside Gold Corp. – Report on Reclamation Activities and Metals Loading in the Animas River (PDF)