Cotter sues state for abusing discretion by ordering uranium mine cleanup
First the state in May respectfully asked Cotter Corp. to clean up an old uranium mine in Jefferson County with the potential to contaminate the Denver water supply. Then last month Cotter “respectfully declined” to pay a $55,000 fine for failing to clean up the now-defunct Schwartzwalder mine.
Now, according to the Denver Post, Cotter has filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court that “accuses Colorado’s Mined Lands Reclamation Board of abusing its discretion when it ordered Cotter to pump out and treat uranium-tainted water.”
No word on whether the lawsuit was respectfully filed, as Cotter officials reportedly did not return calls requesting comment.
The Schwartzwalder mine case should not be confused with the Cotter Mill near Cañon City, where the processing facility that’s actually an EPA Superfund cleanup site is the subject of another lawsuit. Except the mine and mill are owned by the same company, which is a subsidiary of San Diego-based General Atomics.
In the Cotter Mill case, the grassroots Colorado Citizens Against Toxic Waste (CCATW) is suing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for allegedly violating a new state law requiring greater transparency in the uranium processing industry.
As previously reported the Colorado Independent, Cotter officials disagreed with state estimates that it would cost $43.7 million to clean up the Cotter Mill. CDPHE officials reportedly agreed to just $20.2 million in cleanup costs, but the CCATW argues the negotiation should have been much more public.
Like this story? Steal it! Feel free to republish it in part or in full, just please give credit to The Colorado Independent and add a link to the original.
Got a tip? Story pitch? Send us an e-mail. Follow The Colorado Independent on Twitter.
About the Author
Related Posts
Wiretap: Percentage of Americans without health insurance way down
Colorado, Oregon attorneys general strike opposite positions toward gay marriage suits
Spill at Cotter Mill lets loose up to 9,000 gallons of toxic water
North Fork Valley federal lawsuit seeks end to secret oil, gas land nomination process
EVENTS
WATCH: Actual women in politics debate the “war on women”
The Colorado Independent’s editor, Susan Greene, sits down with two of Colorado’s leading female politicians — Rep. Amy Stephens (R – Castle Rock) and House Majority […]
Read More
Desert drought dust ups avalanche danger in Colorado backcountry
We all know what a blanket of fresh snow is supposed to look like, but for the last 10 years, the snows falling in parts of the Colorado Rockies have been far from virgin white and fluffy.
Read MoreTHE BLOGS
Mike Keefe on Karl Rove as horror movie director
Does fear mongering like this really work?
Read More