Historic Preservation and Mitigation Opportunities
EPA and CDPHE understand that mining history and heritage tourism are important to Lake County. The agencies are interested in hearing from the community on how best to mitigate impacts from potential work on waste rock piles.
EPA and CDPHE Want Your Ideas for Historic Mitigation
Some community members have already provided EPA and CDPHE with ideas for mitigating potential impacts to mine waste piles in the historic mining district. Examples include:
- stabilizing historic structures;
- enhancing the Mineral Belt Trail, possibly with potable water stations, solar lighting, or bathrooms; or
- helping the community to establish a bounded area or park where mining history could be preserved and or documented.
Please feel free to share your ideas about historic mitigation measures to be taken at OU 6 by submitting comments to leadville@merid.org or contacting EPA and CDPHE directly.
Other Opportunities for Public Input
- Notice of Availability - The Draft Procedural Guide to Reduce Potential Adverse Impacts to Historic Sites in the Proposed Work Area in Stray Horse Gulch (OU6) is available for public comment. A copy of the Draft Procedural Guide is available here. A copy of the public announcement on the notice is available here.
How Will EPA Decide on a Historic Mitigation Plan?
EPA will decide on a plan based on both public input and cost. Funding for any mitigation work would be included in the overall budget for the new remedy and would need EPA approval.
The following factors are important considerations for EPA in deciding whether to include the community’s mitigation recommendations in the Amendment to the Record of Decision:
- Project is related to or enhances the site remedy
- State Historic Preservation Officer or Advisory Council agrees that the project mitigates impacts to historic resources
- Project can be integrated/designed into OU6 remedy
- Cost of mitigation
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
EPA is complying with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) during the Superfund process for additional work in Stray Horse Gulch. To coordinate the historic preservation and Superfund processes, EPA, the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation entered into a Programmatic Agreement in 1994.
EPA met with the State Historic Preservation Office in April 2009 and in March 2010 as part of the consultation process. At SHPO’s recommendation, EPA re-evaluated historic properties located in the area where EPA is proposing additional work (the Area of Potential Effect) in October 2009. The re-evaluation was conducted to determine whether changes have occurred since the Cultural Resource Inventory was conducted in 1996. The original inventory describes sites that have been recommended as contributing elements of the Leadville Historic Landscape District or as eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
If you would like more information about EPA’s work with the State Historic Preservation Office and cultural resources, please click on the documents below.
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