EPA Region 8 Brownfields Program
Open Space Conservation on Former
Mining Sites in Summit County, Colorado
EPA Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup funding was pivotal in the reuse of former mining
properties for public open space in Summit County, Colorado. The project serves as a model for
overcoming liability issues associated with former mining properties, while supporting a tourism
economy and improving water quality.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Economic Transition from Mining to Tourism
From the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, mining of gold, silver,
J J J ? O O
and other metals was the main economic driver for Summit County,
Colorado. Like many communities in the rural West, mining brought
prosperity to the region, but also left a legacy of abandoned mine lands
issues including acid mine drainage, open adits, waste rock and tailings,
and collapsed buildings.
Today, Summit County has transitioned to a tourism economy. The ski
resorts of the area—Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, and
Breckenridge—are the economic pillars of the region, and activities such
as hiking, biking, and fishing are available in the area year-round. With
only approximately 19,000 actual residents, the county draws more than 2
million visitors each year.
Environmental Assessments Enable the County to Acquire
Priority Properties
Development in the area has rapidly increased in recent years. In order
to ensure the continued success of its tourism industry, Summit County
is focused on preserving open space. One of the county's priority areas
is the Peru Creek Basin, an approximately 15-square-mile former mining
area that included more than 70 separate property owners and 1,200 acres
of privately-owned mining claims. The county is working to acquire
many of these private lands with the eventual goal of transferring them
to the U.S. Forest Service to be protected as open space. However,
property-specific information on the type and amount of contamination,
owners' willingness to sell and liability issues vary widely. A $250,000
EPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot awarded in 2001 was
pivotal in enabling Summit County to assess potential environmental
liabilities and prioritize properties before acquiring them.
Legal issues present some of the most challenging aspects of cleaning
up abandoned mine lands, as communities or individuals can be
held responsible for significant costs, even if they did not cause the
contamination. The Trust for Land Restoration, a nonprofit land trust
dedicated to evaluating and managing the legal complexities surrounding
mine land liability issues, was a key partner in navigating the legal issues
associated with land acquisition. They led activities such as conducting
legal analysis of liability issues, due diligence, coordinating stakeholder involvement, conducting landowner interviews,
and engaging regulators.
An Environmental Liability Management
Analysis was developed to guide
decision making
252 mining claims were assessed for
environmental impacts
90 mining claims comprising
approximately 430 acres were acquired
or otherwise protected by Summit County,
and conserved as open space
The Shoe Basin Mine property was
cleaned up, providing open space and
improving water quality
"Summit County serves as Colorado's
playground—open space, remaining largely
undeveloped, is a huge component of the
overall economic vitality of the area."
—Brian Lorch,
Summit County Open Space
and Trails Department
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LEVERAGED RESOURCES
As a result of the environmental assessments and property
prioritization conducted between 2001 and 2003, Summit
County was able to acquire 90 mining claims comprising
approximately 430 acres. These acquisitions were funded
through the county's Open Space funds, which are
generated from real estate property taxes. The consolidation
of these sites opened up new opportunities for cleanup and
restoration into recreational open space, and reduced the
fragmentation of habitat and recreational areas that would
have resulted from dispersed development.
Cleanup Provides Recreational Opportunities
and Improves Water Quality
As a result of the Brownfields Assessment Pilot, one site,
the 108-acre, Shoe Basin Mine property, was prioritized for
county acquisition and cleanup. This abandoned mine site
was causing metal loading into Peru Creek (the primary
contributor of metals into the Snake River) and had reuse
potential as a developed backcountry trailhead/parking
area. A $195,000 EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant was
awarded to the county in 2004, and the State of Colorado
and the owners of Arapaho Basin Ski Area each contributed
an additional $20,000. Cleanup involved moving
approximately 4,000 cubic yards of mining waste piles
out of the stream onto higher ground, where they were re-
graded and capped. Drainage controls were installed around
the site to prevent clean water from coming into contact
with the capped piles. A small area of wetland was also recreated by re-seeding and planting native species at the edge of
the stream. The cleanup began and was completed in the summer of 2006, and the project was approved by the Colorado
Voluntary Cleanup Program, providing future liability relief.
Reuse Supports the Economy and Serves as a Model for Other Mining Communities
Reuse as protected open space is essential to the economy of Summit County, as visitors travel from far and wide to
experience the area's undeveloped character. With the area becoming more and more commercially developed, restoring
former mining land to its natural state is especially important to the county's tourism-based economy. Through the support
of a range of resources and partners, the Shoe Basin Mine property is an example of this type of reuse, and now serves as
a gateway to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and other hiking areas. The property is also no longer loading
metals into Peru Creek, contributing to water quality improvement efforts for the larger Snake River Watershed. This
project serves as a model of how to overcome the complex ownership and liability issues inherent to abandoned hard rock
mining sites.
$225,000 from an EPA Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
$195,000 from an EPA Brownfields Cleanup grant
$242,000 from Summit County Open Space
acquisition funds
$26,000 in private property donations
$20,000 from the Colorado Dept. of Public Health
and Environment
$20,000 from the Arapaho Basin Ski Area
For additional information, please contact:
Summit County Open Space and Trails: (970) 668-4060 • www.co.summit.co.us/openspace
EPA Region 8 Brownfields Program: (303) 312-7074 • www.epa.gov/region8/brownfields
SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 8
Brownfields
EPA908-A-08-002
May 2008
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