Can the businesses handle the crowds?

How much do the biker’s actually bring to Leadville while they are here?

While the EPA continues to patronize Leadville residents with “fixed” surveys, holding back other alternatives to the proposed capping process, and often refusing to respond to questions, the Lake County Visitor Center has prepared this blog to give residents the “REAL” story about the aggressive actions of the EPA, to remedy what they claim is an “acid water” problem up Stray Horse Gulch with, as they have stated, the “quickest and cheapest” way out.

In a recent conversation with the Colorado State Historical Society who is the designated State Historic Preservation Officer, the EPA contacted them last April (as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act).  We were told by the SHPO that after that initial contact almost a year ago, neither the EPA nor the Colorado Department of Health and Environment have complied with that section of the Act by involving the SHPO with documentations, assessments, etc., of these historic icons… such an important part of the identity of Leadville.

The EPA and the STATE have both said they are here to “get in and out as quickly and cheaply” as possible.  They have already determined in Denver long ago, that “capping” IS going to occur up in our historic mining district AGAIN, just up from our now-famous “wedding cakes.”

It will make a truly authentic and appealing entrance to our mining district and our mining heritage right up Stray Horse Gulch (5th Street), don’t you think?

We believe the intent on the part of the EPA and the STATE is to “cap” our historic mining icons (like the already existing “wedding cakes” shown in the photo below), with the assumption that capping will remedy the situation permanently, and they won’t have to provide any future maintainance in the area… in short, it’s about the money, NOT about doing the job right.  And NOT about listening to Leadville and Lake County who will inherit what they do this summer, in years to come if the “capping” process fails.

This is a VERY important issue for Lake County. It will define, in many ways, our future economic success. We ALL need to be involved at some level, even if it’s just ONE comment indicating where you stand on the further proposed destruction/capping of our historic mining district.