Day: June 9, 2013

NM Acequias: Tradition & Adaptation presented by the New Mexico Acequia Association June 26

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From the New Mexico Acequia Association website:

The New Mexico Acequia Association will host a statewide acequia workshop on June 26th at the Santa Fe Community College. The theme of this conference is “Tradition and Adaptation” to recognize the importance of the traditional knowledge and customs that are vital to the management and care of the acequia. The theme also highlights the importance of acequia adaptation to new challenges. Acequia officials are now called upon to not only keep water flowing in the acequia for crops, gardens, and livestock, but they also must understand how to operate as local institutions of government.

We are also very pleased to present for the first time a screening of “The Art of Mayordomía” which honors the knowledge and wisdom of Mayordomos and highlights the importance of encouraging new Mayordomos to serve.

We will also provide a brief overview of the various areas in which your acequia can request assistance from the New Mexico Acequia Association including acequia bylaws, acequia easements, infrastructure planning, effective meetings, enforcement, and others. We will conclude the workshop with a session about Acequia Enforcement including a presentation by Tomás Trujillo, Office of the Eighth Judicial District Attorney, about legal tools and strategies to protect acequias from illegal uses of water, misuse of the acequia easement, and other common problems.

We hope you or someone from your acequia can attend this workshop. We will also encourage attendees to follow up with NMAA staff if you are interested in technical assistance on a specific topic. The NMAA is asking for a modest registration fee of $10 per person to cover the cost of food. Please register by calling the NMAA office at 505-995-9644.

More Rio Grande River Basin coverage here.

Colorado Mining Agency Orders Clean-Up of Four West Slope Uranium Mines

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Click here to read the letter from the Colorado Mining Agency to Gold Eagle Mining, Inc.

From the Summit County Citizens Voice (Bob Berwyn):

A mining company with a long history on noncompliance with reclamation requirements has been ordered to clean up four semi-abandoned uranium mines in southwest Colorado.

An attempt by Gold Eagle Mining Inc, to delay closure of the mines for another five years was successfully challenged by a watchdog group. The mines, have been idle for three decades, despite a state law that requires uranium mines to be reclaimed and closed a maximum of 10 years after mining ceases.

Three of the mines are located in Slick Rock, directly adjacent to the Dolores River. A fourth mine is located on the slopes above the picturesque Paradox Valley. Multiple documents relating to the mines, including copies of inspection reports and warning letters from the state, are posted here.

More nuclear coverage here and here.

Lincoln Park/Cotter Mill superfund site update: The road map for decommissioning is moving along

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From the Cañon City Daily Record:

The Cotter/Lincoln Park Community Advisory Group monthly meeting was May 16 at the Fremont County Administration Building. CAG members were told about the agency’s idea of ending “The Pause” at the Cotter Superfund Site. Members present were in agreement with this decision.

Four other major aspects regarding the cleanup process also were talked about but not fully detailed in newspaper coverage. The CAG Outreach Committee would like the community to be aware of everything the CAG is doing.

The first major topic discussed implementation of a Road Map between Cotter, CDPHE, EPA and the CAG. This will expedite all information shared and decisions made in a timely manner and allow input into the various documents received by all parties, including the general public. This will allow everyone to know what is happening in a timely manner and to see exactly where everything is at relative to the Superfund Site.

More Lincoln Park/Cotter Mill coverage here and here.

CMU: Grant Workshop for Agricultural & Municipal Water Projects June 25

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Click here to read the flyer. Click here to RSVP.

More education coverage here.

Parachute Creek spill: No benzene detected in the creek for 17 consecutive days as of Thursday #ColoradoRiver

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From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Dennis Webb):

Staff members for state agencies will begin looking at whether the Williams natural gas liquids leak near Parachute damaged natural resources, and a positive finding could lead to the firm having to pay damages. Colorado Department of Law spokeswoman Carolyn Tyler said Friday that representatives of that department, the state Department of Natural Resources and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment “are going to begin initial scoping of potential injuries to natural resources” in the case, based on a decision made the previous day.

The Williams case was on this week’s agenda for the Colorado Natural Resources Trustees meeting. The agenda was to include a brief discussion of it as the subject of a potential investigation, and it also was included on the trustees’ executive-session (closed-door) agenda.

The little-known panel consists of state Attorney General John Suthers along with Martha Rudolph and Bob Randall, who respectively are high-level officials within the health and environment department and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. They can seek compensation from responsible parties when oil or hazardous substances harm natural resources, with the money used for restoration and other measures to address the damage.

Williams estimates that about 10,000 gallons of natural gas liquids leaked into the ground and groundwater this winter from a faulty pressure gauge on a pipeline leaving its natural gas processing plant near Parachute Creek.

The health department’s Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division has taken over investigation of the case, after the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission determined the incident didn’t fall within its jurisdiction. The health division has much higher potential daily fines for violations than does the oil and gas commission.

But the health and environment department has said the division and Williams have reached a consent order under which, if Williams complies with cleanup requirements, it won’t be fined for violating division regulations because the leak resulted from accidental equipment failure rather than negligence.

Under state law and oil and gas commission rules, absence of negligence doesn’t preclude that agency from issuing fines in enforcement matters it handles, commission Director Matt Lepore said this week when asked in an interview. He declined to comment about the handling of the Williams fine, saying the matter involves a different agency and he doesn’t have insight into the health department’s decision-making.

Dr. Chris Urbina, director of the state health department, and incidentally also a state oil and gas commissioner, has hastened to say that despite the terms of the consent order, it’s too early to say Williams won’t be fined in connection with the leak. In part, he has pointed to the possibility of action by the Natural Resource Damages Trustees.

Williams said Friday that it has recovered about 7,350 gallons of hydrocarbon fluids.

While benzene, a carcinogen, had appeared for a while in the creek in small concentrations, it hadn’t been detected in 17 consecutive days as of Thursday, indicating remediation measures have been effective, the company said.

More Parachute Creek spill coverage here.

AWWA Annual Conference kicks off today in Denver

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Click here to go to their website for the conference.

Here’s a guest commentary written by Mike Italiano, founder of the U.S. Green Building Council and president and CEO of the Market Transformation to Sustainability, running in The Denver Post. Here’s an excerpt:

Local officials continue to struggle with ensuring there is enough water for all residents. Yet, just as important for decision makers is the quality of water and how it’s transported to homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.

That will be among the topics next week, as more than 10,000 water professionals gather in Denver at the annual American Water Works Association conference. Certain to be discussed is what types of pipes are best for local water systems nationwide, including Denver. And that’s important for residents who should demand that clean water be delivered to them through the highest quality pipes that protect the environment, the health of consumers and make the best economic sense for the city.

More infrastructure coverage here.

Colorado-Big Thompson Project update: 250 cfs in the river below Olympus Dam

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From email from Reclamation (Kara Lamb):

Earlier this morning, we saw run-of inflows to Lake Estes jump up. As a result, the water level elevation at Lake Estes has come up a few feet and we are increasing releases from Olympus Dam to the Big Thompson Canyon. Flows in the Big T canyon are increasing from around 125 cubic feet per second to about 225 cfs. We might only need to keep the 225 cfs release for a few hours. It is possible we could cut the release back slightly before noon.

More Colorado-Big Thompson coverage here.