MOVING TOWARDS RESILIENCE

RECOVERY FROM MAN MADE DISASTER

Laura Lewis MarchinoExecutive Director, Region 9 Economic Development

District

REGION 9 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT OF SW COLORADO

SAN JUAN COUNTY/SILVERTON CO

SILVERTON STATUS

• Located on the Million dollar highway• Geographically isolated• Last mine closed in 1991• Tourist based, seasonal jobs, primarily in summer• 600 residents year-round• Low housing stock • Rubarb

AUGUST 2015GOLD KING MINE

ANIMAS RIVER

PHOTO SEEN ROUND THE WORLD

IMPACTS – SHORT & LONG TERM

• Tourism• Water quality• Relationships• Jobs• Housing

THERE ARE OVER 300 MINES OR MINE FEATURES WITHIN THIS MINING DISTRICT.

UP TO 50 PART OF CLEAN-UP PROPOSAL

SOME OF THE PROPOSED SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION

Silver Wing MineUpper Animas

10,000 cubic yards waste pile; 20 GPM Discharge

Kittimack TailingsUpper Animas

23,000 cubic yards waste pile

SOME OF THE PROPOSED SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION

Mogul MineCement Creek

25,000 yards waste rock (at headwaters)

Groundwater Seep Near Mayflower Tailings

Upper AnimasUnknown Flow

SOME OF THE PROPOSED SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION

Paradise MineMineral Creek

700 cubic yard waste rock; 500 GPM Drainage

Brooklyn MineMineral Creek

15,000 square yard waste pile; 35 GPM Discharge

SUPERFUND ACTIVITIES 2016 -?

• Ecological •Human Health•Hydrology• Cultural Resources• Economic development*

EARLY NEXT STEPS

• EDA grant – $57K Recovery coordinator for businesses• Housing grants – apartment and single family homes

(Div of Housing, Dept of Local Affairs)• Water monitoring up and down river in place• Warning system in place• Stakeholder group meets monthly with EPA on progress• Several communication/education initiatives

• Celebrated first anniversary Aug. 2016•Officially named a Superfund on Sept. 9, 2016•Hiring a Recovery Coordinator, Jan. 2017

RESOURCEShttp://animasrivercommunity.org

www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/animas-river-spillhttp://sjbhd.org/gold-king-mine-incident-communications-update/

Region 9 EDD www.scan.orglaura@scan.org