From The Pueblo Chieftain (Matt Hildner):
The agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would cover the group in its efforts to reclaim scattered tailing piles and waste rock on private land in a 17-mile stretch of the creek. The creek and the Bonanza Mining District, which sits at its headwaters, have been the subject of reclamation efforts since 1993 that aim to reduce metals in the creek and restore aquatic life. Water in several stretches of the stream does not meet federal standards for cadmium, silver, lead, copper, zinc and pH.
Since 2008, Trout Unlimited, the federal Bureau of Land Management and the Natural Resource Conservation Service have spent $1.5 million cleaning up the stretch of creek, which includes both public and private lands. Elizabeth Russell, who manages Trout Unlimited’s efforts on Kerber Creek, said the mine tailings the group encountered on private lands were hazardous enough that it wanted protection from liability. That led to a year of negotiations that resulted in the draft, she said. If finalized, the agreement would cover Trout Unlimited’s past actions…
The agreement is designed to address the group’s work on pollutants that are regulated by the EPA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. It would not cover the cleanup efforts of acid mine drainage that are regulated under the Clean Water Act…
The draft agreement is subject to public comment through Sept. 20. Comments or requests for a copy of the agreement may be sent to William G. Ross, EPA Enforcement Specialist/SEE (8ENF-RC), Technical Enforcement Program, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO 80202-1129, and should reference the Kerber Creek Site AOC in Saguache County, Colo.
More restoration coverage here.