Safeguarding Colorado’s water
Water is a precious resource in Colorado, but renewed interest in nuclear power could jump-start uranium mining, threatening Colorado’s rivers and groundwater with radioactive pollution.
The mining industry has staked claims on the headwaters of Denver’s water supply, dangerously close to the Middle Fork of the South Platte River. The South Platte—which already suffers from past gold mining—not only provides drinking water, but also world class fisheries for brown trout.
“The risk is too great for uranium mining to occur in the South Platte Basin,” said Eddie Kochman, former aquatic wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Environment
Colorado, along with the Western Mining Action Project, Clean Water Action, and
Save our South Park Water, is calling on the state mining board to adopt
strong groundwater protections. However, questions remain as to whether any sort of uranium mining—such as what’s being proposed near the Middle Fork of the South Platte—would be safe.
