From The Crested Butte News (Mark Reaman):
Gunnison County is alerting property owners of Irwin that several tests done on individual wells in the Irwin area have shown high levels of some heavy metals in the water. As a result, the county is recommending that all residents in the Irwin area have their wells tested. Arsenic appears to be the most prominent metal found in the tests but other heavy metals associated with mining were also detected.
According to Gunnison County Community Development Director Russ Forrest, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted testing on nine domestic wells belonging to residents that voluntarily let the agency test the water, surface water, ground water and soils in the Irwin area. The results of the test were sent to the county in a report and the county felt it was worthy of alerting the public.
Forrest said they heard Wednesday from the state that only those that participated in the testing were made aware of the results, so the county felt it important to make this available to those individuals that may be impacted.
According to the report the levels of arsenic exceeded government safety standards. There was some concern of lead contamination as well.
The EPA did not conduct the testing based on any single incident but was getting information in the vicinity of old mines that they are monitoring.
In a press release from the county, it was recommended that residents in the Lake Irwin Townsite and the properties around Lake Irwin test their wells at this time for heavy metals. Residents and property owners in the Lake Irwin area are receiving notices from Gunnison County that include guidance about how to test private wells.
