Turning back the pages

30 years ago – March 6, 1987

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deemed that an emergency response will be undertaken at the Gregory Incline and Tailings site in Black Hawk. The site is located behind the Black Hawk Conoco station off of Highway 119. According to Sharon Kercher of the emergency response branch, the contract manager will be at the location next week.  The work is scheduled to start March 16. A letter from Kercher to Mayor Bill Lorenz of Black Hawk states that “the  timber crib wall which currently retains the tailings from falling into North Clear Creek is in danger of collapse during the spring runoff. A massive failure of the tailings into the creek would change the pH of the water from seven to three, resulting in aquatic life kill. The City of Golden uses Clear Creek as a drinking water source, and a collapse of the tailings would result in heavy metal contamination of the creek which would exceed drinking water standards for up to two weeks.” The Superfund Remedial program intends to stabilize the tailings pile by removing the timber crib wall and replacing it with a retaining wall constructed with gabion baskets. The tailings slope will be cut back to the angle of the slope. Kercher said that the estimated cost of the project is $220,000. It has not been determined by the EPA if Norman Blake, owner of the property, will be held responsible for the cost of the project. Kercher said that a decision will not be made until all of the locations in the area are addressed. The EPA considers if the land owner is “financially solvent” and evidence of the owner deliberately putting the material at the site as ways of determining if the owner is financially responsible. The EPA has been negotiating with Blake since November, according to kerchief. Based on negotiations, “he is not ready to undertake the project.” Certain requirements are technically necessary, and “The EPA will take care of the situation,” Kercher said. In July of 1986, the EPA presented four possible options for the Gregory Incline and Tailings site. Each of the options cost about a half of a million dollars. At a public meeting, it was the majority consensus of the people in attendance to build a culvert. The Gregory Incline and Tailings are part of a large project within the Clear Creek/Central City Priorities List. The other areas include the National Tunnel in the southern part of Black Hawk, the Quartz Hill Tunnel south of Central City, the Argo Tunnel and Mill in Idaho Springs, and the Big Five Tunnel which is also in Idaho Springs. The Argo Tunnel is scheduled to be addressed next followed by the Big Five Tunnel and then the National.

Recall petitions for two of the three Gilpin County Commissioners are being circulated. The petitions are to recall from office Commissioner Leslie Williams and Commissioner Alan Baird. A recall petition is not being circulated for Commissioner Carroll Beck. According to Colorado statutes: “No recall petition shall be circulated or signed against any officer until he has actually had his office for at least six months.” Beck assumed the office of county commissioner effective January 13. Williams and Baird were sworn into office as commissioners effective January 8, 1985. Circulation of the two recall petitions officially began on Tuesday. Any number of petitions can be circulated, but each signer must add to his signature the date of his signing the petition and place of residence, giving a street address, if any. Only one signature by each registered elector is considered valid on the petition. The person(s) circulating the recall must subscribe to an oath on the sheet that the signatures are genuine. Judy Dornbrock, County Clerk & Recorder, said that the required number of signatures needed is approximately 360 signatures on each petition. A separate petition is required for Williams and another one for Baird. The Rocky Mountain News reported on January 12 that 20 recall petitions have been circulated in Colorado in the last year. Of those, eight were successful, six were pending, and seven failed.