Washington, Jun 19, 2008 -

Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) issued the following statement after H.R. 5511, the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel Remediation Act passed the House by voice vote:

“I am very pleased that H.R. 5511, the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel Remediation Act of 2008, passed the House of Representatives. We are now one step closer to a solution for the repair and maintenance of the tunnel.

“I am proud that Congress has taken action to address this safety concern and voted to prevent a possible future catastrophe. I, along with fellow Colorado Congressman Mark Udall (CO-02), have been pushing Congress to pass legislation that will help eliminate any future problems concerning the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel since early this year. This is a victory for Coloradans and I will keep working with the Colorado delegation, including our two U.S. Senators, to pass legislation that addresses the needs of our constituents.”—Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)

Specifically, this bill would direct the Bureau of Reclamation to relieve water pressure behind certain blockages in the tunnel, permanently manage the mine pool behind any blockage to prevent releases of contaminated water, and manage the tunnel in such a way to prevent failure of the structure.

Congressman Lamborn has taken a number of steps to address the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel (LMDT) situation in order to prevent a human and ecological catastrophe. He has met with local leaders, such as the Lake County Board of County Commissioners, who expressed the following statement:

“Thank you for your persistent, dedicated work and leadership of introducing and moving forward H.R. 5511. This has been, as you well know, an uphill battle and finally we are getting the attention to a long term problem that the Bureau of Reclamation has ignored for 30 plus years. We applaud your non-partisan approach to this very serious problem.”—Michael J. Hickman, Chair, Kenneth L. Olsen, and Carl F. Schaefer, Lake County Board of Commissioners

In addition, Congressman Lamborn has met with federal agencies, including the Bureau of Reclamation and the Environmental Protection Agency, has petitioned President Bush, and now, his legislation has passed the House of Representatives to enact short-term and long-term solutions to the LMDT situation while addressing the environmental concerns associated with the contaminated water in the LMDT.

Congressman Lamborn is only the second Republican freshman to pass a substantive bill in the 110th Congress. This legislation now awaits action in the United States Senate.