Gov. Hickenlooper Requests Superfund Designation For Bonita Peak Mining District

Press Release

Gov. John Hickenlooper today sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting support for Superfund designation of the Bonita Peak Mining District. The district includes 48 inactive mines in the area.

"After working closely with local communities, we've identified a Superfund designation as the most comprehensive and sensible means at our disposal to treat mine discharge in the Bonita Peak Mining District," said Hickenlooper. "We'll continue to push for meaningful state and local involvement, utilization of the best available technologies and expertise, and ways to mitigate any negative impacts to the local economy."

"The resiliency that affected communities have demonstrated in response to the Gold King mine spill has been a key ingredient to ensuring we'll have clean water in the upper Animas Watershed. As we go forward, we will continue to work with our local partners, Congressional delegation and the EPA to expedite funding sources so cleanup proceeds in a timely, effective and collaborative manner."

Today's letter follows a coordinated and collaborative request from local communities to the governor for the designation. The timing allows for a March listing consideration to expedite the process and get funding to the local community as soon as possible.

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