Memorandum Agenda Item 11e 05/15/2000

Home Browse Search

Landmine Page 20 of 20 Friedland, who went on to make millions in other mining ventures, said, "In retrospect, I wish the • Summitville mine had never been built." He blames "fundamental engineering errors that never should have occurred," such as the miscalculation of how much water would flood the mine. In the end, the company lost $84 million. Two mine managers received jail terms for violating clean water laws. State officials are seeking $40 million from Friedland to offset the cost of treating Summitville water for the foreseeable future. And the federal government has spent more than $150 million. The mine was a success in one respect: It created jobs. Many of the people who worked there were hired to do the cleanup and continued to draw paychecks well into the mid-1990s. Perhaps most importantly, the Colorado Health Department in March announced that acid levels had declined dramatically in the Alamosa River. Miller, the farmer at Capulin, says he's noticed the difference. "In the last two years, we have seen fish back in the Alamosa River below town," Miller said. "We have salamanders," he added. "And we have frogs back. You can go to the river and hear frogs." May 7, 2000 More Options... News Business Sports Recreation Going Out Staying In Classified Weather Stocks Broncos Snow Rept. Movies TV Place an ad Opinion Bank Rates Avalanche Hiking Dining Health Auto Nation Nuggets Biking Music Cookbook Careers World Rockies Fishing On Stage Garden Homes Sci/Tech College Golf Books Crossword Births RockyPreps Calendar Travel Weddings Dentry Deaths ©Copyright,Denver Publishing Co. Subscribe to the News • ser Agreement/Privacy Statement Questions?Comments?Talk to Us http://www.denver-rmn.com/news/0507smmtl.shtml 5/7/00