The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has opened up a period for the public to cast their opinions on the proposed cleanup plan for the Valmont Power Station, a former coal-burning facility that has resulted in coal ash leading to groundwater contamination in Boulder, as reported by Boulder County.
Xcel Energy, which owns the Valmont Power Station, ceased burning coal in 2017 and has since been monitoring the groundwater for contaminants, tests have shown dangerous levels of selenium and lithium, substances that present health risks in high concentrations, yet the contamination does not currently threat public water supplies, alongside its commitment to clean up the mess with a plan that involves groundwater treatment and coal ash excavation, there's also a proposal on the table to reuse a portion of the coal ash for concrete production, aiming to reduce the raw material demand.
Amidst concerns about air quality resulting from ash excavation, Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) has been proactive in working with the CDPHE, seeking to deploy best management practices and stringent dust-control measures, as detailed by Boulder County.
BCPH, also teaming up with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Xcel Energy, takes the stance that the community's health and safety should steer the cleanup initiative and to this end, they've hosted several community meetings to update residents and gather input, a process of transparency that aligns with the agency's values, feedback on the Assessment of Corrective Measures Report can be submitted via email to Taylor Pierce at [email protected], or by mail, with the report and additional project information available for review on both the CDPHE and BCPH websites.
The period for public comment will remain open through November 20, marking a window for the citizenry to shape the environmental rectifications of their locale.
