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Superfund Sites in Reuse in Colorado

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Asarco, Inc. (Globe Plant)

The ASARCO, Inc. (Globe Plant) site is located in Globeville, an industrial, commercial and residential area near the South Platte River in Denver, Colorado. Metal and refining operations took place on site from 1886 to 2006. Historical operations contaminated soil, sediment, groundwater and surface water with metals and other chemicals. Cleanup is ongoing. EPA proposed adding the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1993. EPA removed it from NPL listing consideration in 2014. Site characterization and cleanup took place under a series of agreements between the state of Colorado and ASARCO. Crossroads Commerce Park opened on site in 2016. It hosts warehousing, distribution and light industrial businesses. The facility provides about a million square feet of space. Wildlife habitat and recreation areas associated with the Heron Pond Natural Area are located on part of the site. A Colorado National Guard recruiting center is located south of Heron Pond. Two community recreation centers are located on site. Commercial and residential areas, a fire station, schools and parks are located on the part of the site where soil cleanup took place.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 311 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 3,880 people and generated an estimated $1,255,143,051 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Bonita Peak Mining District

The Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site is located in San Juan County, Colorado. The site includes 48 mining-related source areas in a geographic area covering 140 square miles. There are over 400 abandoned or inactive mines at the site. Heavy metals from past mining activity negatively affect the land and water-based ecosystems of the three primary drainages at the site: Mineral Creek, Cement Creek and the Upper Animas River. The drainages reach a confluence at the Animas River, near the town of Silverton. The Animas River flows south from Silverton toward Durango and is used for drinking water, recreation and agriculture. Mining of silver and other base-metals occurred from the 1870s to 1991. EPA and the state of Colorado began investigating the area in the 1990s. Sunnyside Gold Corporation was the last mining operator at the site. From the 1980s to 2005, Sunnyside Gold Corporation intermittently treated mine-impacted water at the Sunnyside Mine and discharged it into the Upper Cement Creek portion of the Site. Between 1991 and 2015, EPA, Sunnyside Gold Corporation, the state of Colorado, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management performed or oversaw reclamation and Superfund cleanup activities in the Upper Animas watershed. Since October 2015, EPA has operated an interim water treatment plant in Gladstone, Colorado, to treat water from the Gold King Mine. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2016. Remedial investigations are ongoing and EPA is reviewing possible cleanup approaches. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service manage parts of the site. Tourism, retail and recreation are key industries in the area. All-terrain vehicle use on high alpine roads is a popular recreation activity. There is an advanced-terrain ski area and many mountain biking and hiking trails throughout the site area.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Broderick Wood Products

Union Pacific Railroad constructed a rail line embankment in 2004
Broderick Wood Products

The 64-acre Broderick Wood Products (BWP) Superfund site is located north of Denver, Colorado, in unincorporated Adams County. BWP operated a wood-treating facility on site from 1947 to 1982. BWP treated power poles, fence posts, railroad ties and other wood products on the property. Operators disposed of hazardous waste from the process in two unlined holding areas on site. In 1984, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) due to contaminated groundwater, soil and sludge. Broderick Investment Company (BIC), the potentially responsible party, completed most of the cleanup from 1989 to 1994. The long-term remedy involves additional cleanup of chemicals in soils, sediments, groundwater, buildings and their contents. In 2003 and 2004, Union Pacific Railroad worked with EPA, the state and BIC on a rail line embankment across the site. The project was part of a larger effort to improve rail service and reduce rail congestion in the Denver area. As part of the project, parties made improvements to site cleanup systems. In 2005, BIC put in an access road at the site’s northern boundary. This road was a primary access point and helped facilitate redevelopment. In January 2007, BIC sold most of the site property to Scott Contracting. Brannan Sand & Gravel acquired the property in 2013. It now runs an asphalt plant on site.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 5 people and generated an estimated $6,845,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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California Gulch

A playground is part of the new sports facilities atop a former zinc smelter site
California Gulch

Located in Lake County, Colorado, the 18-square-mile California Gulch Superfund site includes the city of Leadville and surrounding area. Beginning in 1857, prospectors and companies mined the area extensively for heavy metals. Mining operations left mining byproducts on site. These materials contain heavy metals that contaminated native soils and waterways, such as the Arkansas River. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup actions across over 80% of the site, including the city of Leadville, are complete. EPA took those areas off the NPL. Over the years, EPA worked with the state, the community and the site’s potentially responsible parties to coordinate the continued residential, federal, commercial and industrial use of the site, as well as redevelopment and ecological restoration work. The San Isabel National Forest Ranger Station is within the site boundary, near the center of Leadville. In 1998, EPA and the state signed agreements to provide public access to open space near the Arkansas River. State and local governments bought more than 2,300 acres of ranch land that serve as wildlife habitat and recreational resources. The community has incorporated reuse of mining byproducts into the design of the Mineral Belt Trail, which opened in 2000. This nationally recognized recreation trail is built around the city along a railroad grade, which weaves through the historic mining district highlighting the community’s history and heritage. Pilot funding from EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) in 2001 and 2002 provided support for the city to develop reuse plans for the site and coordinate with EPA on the implementation of the reuse plans in a manner consistent with the site’s remedy. Other recreational reuse at the site includes the Arkansas River Trail, a 5-mile loop along the Upper Arkansas River. Leadville’s extensive recreation opportunities and 10,000-foot elevation attract endurance athletes for a variety of events. A community-driven initiative called the Huck Finn Park Project upgraded a Leadville park into a skateboard park along with new ice-skating facilities. These facilities include a warming hut, restrooms, concessions and park equipment storage. The $1.5-million Lake County Community Park and Sports Complex opened on site in 2009. The complex includes a synthetic turf athletic field built on a former zinc smelter. One of EPA’s national partners, the United States Soccer Foundation, awarded a $10,000 grant to develop initial plans for the field. Community support also led to the creation of a 21,000-square-foot concrete skate park that opened in 2013. After decades of cleanup that benefited the ecology of the watershed, Colorado Parks and Wildlife honored the site with a Gold Medal Waters designation in 2014. The designation notes the accomplishment of the Upper Arkansas River’s improved water quality and revitalized habitat for trout and other wildlife. Also in 2014, EPA Region 8 celebrated the site with its Excellence in Site Reuse award, recognizing several parties for their leadership and sustained involvement with key reuse projects at the site. A mixed-use development is underway at the Old Railyard site. It includes commercial and retail space, single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums. 
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 185 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 1,135 people and generated an estimated $101,286,415 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Central City, Clear Creek

The 400-square-mile Central City, Clear Creek Superfund site includes the former mining towns of Central City, Georgetown, Empire, Idaho Springs, Silver Plume, Empire and Black Hawk, Colorado. For almost a century, vast deposits of gold and silver ores in the area supported a profitable mining industry. In the early 1900s, business in Central City and Black Hawk declined dramatically. This left the towns with a weakened economy and deteriorating infrastructure. The mining industry also left behind waste rock and mine tailings that contaminated the Clear Creek watershed. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. In partnership with the state, EPA did cleanup in stages. After Colorado amended its laws to allow gaming in the former mining towns, parties worked with casino developers to clean up areas of the two towns to support casinos, hotels and restaurants. As parties developed the former mining property, they conducted cleanup actions. In 2009, EPA made more cleanup funding available. These resources supported the capping of more mine waste piles, putting sediment and drainage controls in place, and treating water to restore Clear Creek. Cleanup goals include protection of the Clear Creek watershed. The watershed provides water for agriculture and local drinking water supply, as well as a wide range of recreation opportunities, including rafting, kayaking and fishing. Today, limited mining continues on some areas of the site. The Central City Business Improvement District built the Central City Parkway to facilitate access to city businesses and homes. The historic Argo gold mill on site hosts tours and serves as a tourism attraction. The mill’s owners are exploring redevelopment opportunities for it. Cleanup is ongoing.
Last updated September 2019

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 2 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 4 people and generated an estimated $141,230 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Chemical Sales Co.

The 5-square-mile Chemical Sales Co. (CSC) Superfund site is in Denver, Colorado. Residential, commercial, industrial and municipal land uses are located on site. CSC, a wholesale distributor of commercial and industrial chemicals, detergents and water leisure products, occupied a warehouse on site in 1976. CSC activities led to the contamination of soil and area groundwater. In 1989, EPA removed leaking and corroded drums from the property. Acting on behalf of EPA, the state began additional cleanup actions in 1989. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Between 1986 and 1995, the public water district connected over 400 residences to the municipal water supply. Following cleanup, operation and maintenance activities are ongoing. Groundwater and land use restrictions are in place at the site. G.L. Bryan Investments purchased the property from CSC in a March 1995 prospective purchaser agreement. At that time, G.L. Bryan Investments owned ACME Metals. In 2007, G.L. Bryan Investments sold the property to Monaco I. ACME Metals continues to operate on the site.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 68 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 871 people and generated an estimated $290,142,307 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Colorado Smelter

The Colorado Smelter Superfund site is in Pueblo, Colorado. A silver and lead smelter operated on site from 1883 to 1908 and contributed to site contamination. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found elevated lead and arsenic in soils in 2011. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2014 because of arsenic and lead contamination in smelter waste and neighborhood soils. EPA is studying the amount and location of contamination on the smelter site and in the surrounding Bessemer, Eiler and Grove neighborhoods. The study area includes about 1,900 homes, commercial and industrial properties and parks that are currently in use within a half-mile radius of the smelter. Since 2014, EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) has supported reuse planning projects at the site to explore possible future site uses with the community, property owners and other local stakeholders. These efforts also involved bringing in the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a collaboration among the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and EPA. This broader reuse effort has evolved into the Colorado Smelter Revitalization Project (CSRP), a partnership with local, state and federal agencies. The CSRP meets regularly to coordinate planning initiatives and resources for affected neighborhoods. EPA selected a cleanup plan for non-smelter areas of the site in 2017. In 2018, EPA’s SRP facilitated a community visioning session that resulted in a revitalization plan for the neighborhood, which was formally adopted by the city in fall 2020. Since spring 2021, the city and community members have taken greater ownership of the CSRP. The city received a Colorado Health Foundation Grant to support hiring additional employees to advance community-led beautification projects. Also in 2018, together with NeighborWorks of Southern Colorado, EPA supported a Superfund Job Training Initiative program at the site. Fifteen people graduated from the program, equipped with technical skills and specialized training to work on a broad range of construction projects, including Superfund cleanups. As of June 2021, EPA had completed 70% of soil cleanups, with 30% of dust cleanups complete at residential properties. Sampling, cleanup and reuse planning efforts are ongoing. 
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 5 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 39 people and generated an estimated $2,861,006 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Denver Radium Site

A sign outside of the Home Depot store completed in 1996 on the Denver Radium site
Denver Radium Site

The Denver Radium Superfund site consists of over 65 unique properties along the South Platte River Valley. In the early 1900s, Denver ore-processing facilities provided a domestic source of radium for nearby businesses. After the radium industry’s collapse in the 1920s, waste and residual radioactive substances remained. Waste in the form of soils was used as fill or for road paving materials, as well as in commercial building foundations. Subsequent health risk studies conducted supported the need to remove the mostly low-level radioactive waste material. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983 and gave funds to remove contamination source areas. 

The 65 properties are primarily used for commercial/retail purposes. Some of the properties are industrial, park areas and roadways. EPA and the state of Colorado designed a robust cleanup plan that would protect human health and the environment while allowing for future redevelopment of former contaminated properties. Redevelopment has taken place at several cleaned-up properties. The site includes Ruby Hill Park, which provides a community swimming pool and other recreation resources, Encore Evans Station, a 224-apartment complex, and both retail and commercial businesses. Because all of the soil contamination met the cleanup goals, nearly all of the site has been deleted from the NPL. Currently, groundwater monitoring is being conducted on a limited area which remains on the NPL. 
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 81 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 1,166 people and generated an estimated $250,875,941 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Eagle Mine

The Eagle Mine Superfund site is located in Eagle County, Colorado, about 1 mile from Minturn and 75 miles west of Denver. Beginning in the 1880s, a 110-acre gold and silver mine operated on site. In 1938, Eagle Mine transitioned to support zinc mining, which left high levels of metals in the soil, surface water and groundwater. Zinc mining operations ended in 1977. Copper and silver mining and production continued at Eagle Mine until its closure in 1984. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. Cleanup included the removal of contaminated soils and sediments; containment of mine seepage and runoff; monitoring of surface water, groundwater, pool water and stream water; and land use controls. The potentially responsible party conducted most cleanup actions between 1989 and 2001. After cleanup, community members began using the adjacent Eagle River again as a recreation resource. In 2004, a developer purchased 750 acres of site property for construction of a residential golf course community. In 2009, a new developer with smaller-scale plans took over the project. EPA and the state are currently working with the developer to make sure that all necessary investigation and cleanup steps occur to prepare the property for residential redevelopment. Groundwater treatment and monitoring are ongoing. With EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment in mind, EPA established the Superfund Task Force in May 2017 to provide recommendations for improving and expediting site cleanups and promoting redevelopment. Based on the Superfund Task Force recommendations, EPA identified the site as a Redevelopment Opportunity site – a site with the greatest expected redevelopment potential. 
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

French Gulch

The French Gulch Superfund site is located along French Creek near Breckenridge, Colorado, about two miles upstream of where French Creek meets with the Blue River. Extensive surface and underground mining took place in the French Gulch valley from the 1850s to the 1970s. The site includes mine wastes and the flooded mine pool associated with the former Wellington-Oro Mine. EPA investigations in the 1980s found that the Wellington-Oro Mine was a major source of contamination in French Creek and Blue River. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation identified several areas of contamination releases in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Under an agreement with EPA, B&B Mines consolidated and capped mining wastes and installed drainage ditches to reduce contamination getting into waterways. B&B Mines completed this work in 1999. The town of Breckenridge and Summit County bought 1,800 acres of land from B&B Mines in 2001. This purchase included the Wellington-Oro Mine. Under a 2005 consent decree with EPA, Breckenridge and Summit County built a water treatment plant for the Wellington-Oro Mine. The plant began operation in November 2008 and groundwater treatment continues. The part of the site acquired by Breckenridge and Summit County is now part of the Golden Horseshoe recreational and open space area. EPA, the state of Colorado, Brynn Grey V, LLC, and Wellington Neighborhood, LLC signed a prospective purchaser agreement in 1999 for an 85-acre property next to the mine, which was developed into a residential neighborhood. The neighborhood was intended to provide affordable housing options for people living and working in the community. The agreement limits Wellington Neighborhood, LLC’s liability for existing contamination. The agreement also lays out requirements for the group to complete restoration of the Union Mill and the Neighborhood Fill and Cover Areas, and to ensure proper cover of impacted soils in the future.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Lincoln Park

The Lincoln Park Superfund site includes about 5 square miles of suburban and rural land about 2 miles south of Cañon City, Colorado. The site consists of a former uranium/molybdenum processing mill and contamination resulting from the mill operations. From 1958 to 1987, the Cotter Corporation Uranium Mill produced uranium and radioactive substances on site for the Atomic Energy Commission. Until the late 1970s/early 1980s, the Cotter Corporation released waste into unlined ponds. During a flood in 1965, waste materials overflowed into nearby Sand Creek and a downstream residential area called Lincoln Park. As a result of uranium-processing waste reaching area soil, surface water and groundwater, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. The Cotter Corporation agreed to perform cleanup actions. Activities included construction of a clay barrier and a pumping system to contain and collect contaminated groundwater. The responsible party also removed contaminated sediments from Sand Creek. The mill is being decommissioned. Cleanup is ongoing. In 2018, Colorado Legacy Land signed an Administrative Order on Consent, taking on responsibility for the RI/FS. Many properties at the site, including the community of Lincoln Park, remain in active use. These land uses include homes, farms, grazing areas, businesses, and churches. In 2014 and 2015, EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) and EPA Region 8 provided support for reuse planning and community meetings regarding the future use of the site.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 43 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 193 people and generated an estimated $12,124,150 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Lowry Landfill

Utility vehicle parked outside the new landfill gas-to-energy plant which opened in September 2008
Lowry Landfill

The 507-acre Lowry Landfill Superfund site is in Aurora, Colorado. In 1964, the former owner of the land deeded the site to the city and county of Denver. The localities operated a municipal landfill on site from the mid-1960s to 1984. The landfill accepted industrial and municipal wastes. After 1984, the site continued to accept municipal solid waste until 1990. Storage practices on site resulted in potentially harmful gas releases, contaminated groundwater and soils. As a result, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. EPA’s cleanup included a groundwater barrier wall, a groundwater treatment plant, a landfill cover and a landfill gas collection system. The groundwater treatment plant uses green remediation practices. After EPA completed construction of cleanup components, the city of Denver, Waste Management and local utility Xcel Energy partnered to reuse the site’s landfill gas. In 2008, a landfill gas-to-energy plant began operating at the site. The plant uses landfill gas from Lowry Landfill and the adjoining Denver Arapahoe Disposal site, which is an active landfill. The plant uses four combustion engines to convert methane gas from both landfill sites into 3.2 megawatts of electrical power annually. This process reduces greenhouse gases and provides electricity for about 3,000 households. The plant also removes about 5,000 tons of methane from the landfill annually. This is the equivalent of removing 22,000 cars from the road each year. The city and county of Denver, Arapahoe County and the city of Aurora enacted land and groundwater use controls to prevent contact with remaining contamination in soils, groundwater and landfill gas. 
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 2 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 39 people and generated an estimated $8,708,230 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Nelson Tunnel/Commodore Waste Rock

The Nelson Tunnel/Commodore Waste Rock  Superfund site is a mile north of Creede, Colorado. Mining activities produced silver, gold and other metals from the 1890s to 1976. Acid mine drainage from the tunnel and waste rock pile are contaminating West Willow Creek with heavy metals (main contaminants of concern are zinc and cadmium). West Willow Creek joins East Willow Creek to form Willow Creek, which is a tributary of the Rio Grande River, a state-designated Gold Medal fishery. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2008. In 2008 and 2009, EPA led a removal action to stabilize the Commodore Waste Rock Pile. In 2011, EPA completed the site’s remedial investigation. EPA is conducting the site’s feasibility study to explore appropriate cleanup options. In 2019, EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) and Region 8 began supporting reuse planning activities at the site, including a situation assessment to determine whether future use of the site can leverage local tourism and support local economic development. EPA’s SRP is also assessing existing conditions and preservation opportunities related to the aboveground mining structures and providing assistance to support watershed restoration. Recreation activities take place on a part of the site where the Bachelor Loop Historic Tour, a 17-mile driving tour, allows visitors to learn about the historic mining district above Creede.  
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Pennsylvania Mine

The Pennsylvania Mine site is in Summit County, Colorado. Mine operations began in 1879. It produced gold, silver, lead, copper and zinc. The mine continued regular operations until 1908. Mining then continued on and off until the mid-1940s, when the mine was abandoned. Acid mine drainage from the site carried contamination into Peru Creek, a tributary of the Snake River. Mining waste and tailing deposits on the surface at the site are often washed into surface water during large runoff events. EPA considered listing the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in the 2000s. The locality asked to address the site through a stakeholder group approach. The Snake River Watershed Task Force (SRWTF) includes local, state and federal governments and conservation organizations. The SRWTF led cleanup activities, including capping mine waste to prevent erosion and containing acid mine drainage. Due to the short construction season at high altitude, cleanup work was done in phases over several years. Additional voluntary cleanup work included treatment of acid mine drainage contained on site, wetlands restoration and creation of a new wetland. The site includes public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and is part of the White River National Forest. The area is a popular year-round recreation destination for camping, hiking, biking, running, cross-country skiing and back-country skiing. 
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Sand Creek Industrial

The 300-acre Sand Creek Industrial Superfund site is in Denver and Commerce City, Colorado. An oil refinery, a pesticide manufacturing facility, an herbicide chemical plant and a landfill contributed to contamination of soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup included removal of buildings, rail cars and tanks, removal and treatment of contaminated soil, landfill capping, and gas collection and treatment. After cleanup, EPA took the site off the NPL in 1996. Operation and maintenance activities at the site are ongoing. Groundwater and land use restrictions are in place at the site. The site is zoned for light and heavy industrial land uses. Commercial and industrial facilities continue to operate at the site. Plans are being made to redevelop the landfill area by CA Industrial Holdings. The developer is working with the agencies, the potential responsible parties, site owner and the City of Commerce to prepare the design plans. CA Industrial Holdings plans to redevelop the property to construct a commercial logistics center that includes multiple buildings, parking lots and other associated structures.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 69 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 1,744 people and generated an estimated $454,899,635 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Smeltertown Site

The entrance to the sand and gravel business on site
Smeltertown Site

The 120-acre Smeltertown Superfund site is located near Salida in Chaffee County, Colorado. Many industrial businesses operated on the site over the past century, including lead-zinc smelting and wood-treating businesses. Facility operations contaminated soil, groundwater and surface water. After timber operations ended in 1965, the Butala Construction Company began using the area for sand and gravel mining. EPA began investigating the site in 1986. EPA selected cleanup plans for the site in 1996 and 1998. The companies responsible for the contamination removed and placed contaminated materials in an on-site capped repository, which was then fenced. Monitoring of groundwater and surface water of the adjacent Arkansas River are ongoing. Institutional controls restrict land and groundwater use. Today, the Butala Construction Company continues to operate a sand and gravel quarry on site. The National Park Service listed the former smelter’s 365-foot smokestack on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In 2015, a highway marker was created to relay the smokestack’s status and historical importance.  
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 29 people and generated an estimated $2,150,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Smuggler Mountain

The 110-acre Smuggler Mountain Superfund site is located in Aspen, Colorado. Between 1879 and 1920, silver and lead mines operated on site. Mining  activities created waste containing heavy metals. Piles of exposed waste eventually spread and mixed with area soils. In the 1980s, soil analyses identified high levels of lead and cadmium. To address area-wide contamination, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. Cleanup focused on the original mine site, Smuggler Mine, and the northeastern edge of Aspen. Pitkin County and New Smuggler Mine Corporation led cleanup actions. Activities included covering and revegetating areas of mine waste. The parties also secured former mine areas to prevent further contamination and tested residents’ blood-lead levels. After cleanup, EPA took the site off the NPL in September 1999. A 116-acre residential area occupies a major portion of the site. This area includes condominiums, mobile home communities, a tennis club and single-family homes. A local company reopened the mine to conduct mineral exploration and to offer tours to Colorado travelers. In addition, the mine property has served as a venue for special events such as weddings, wine tastings, and Halloween celebrations. The mine also leases a portion of its property to a local rafting company. The Smuggler Mountain trailhead is also located on site and provides access to a popular hiking trail. A snack shack provides hikers with cold water and snacks next to the trail. 
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 19 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 75 people and generated an estimated $6,829,620 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Standard Mine

The 10-acre Standard Mine Superfund site is located in the Ruby Mining District of Gunnison National Forest in Gunnison County, Colorado. Silver mining began in the southern Ruby Mining District in 1874 and continued at several mine sites in the area until 1974. Standard Mine was one of the three largest producing silver mines in the Ruby Mining District. Mining activities at the site contaminated soil, surface water and groundwater with heavy metals. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2005 and completed time-critical removal actions in 2006 and 2007. EPA selected the long-term cleanup plan for the site in 2011. The cleanup has two phases. EPA completed the first phase in 2018. EPA conducted source control and set up a monitoring program to assess the effectiveness of source controls. Monitoring results will determine whether the second phase of cleanup, a passive water treatment system, is needed. The U.S. Forest Service owns part of the site. Therefore, EPA and the state of Colorado are coordinating with the U.S. Forest Service on all cleanup activities. Recreational uses on site include hiking, biking and camping in the summer, and skiing and snowmobiling in the winter.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Summitville Mine

The 1,400-acre Summitville Mine Superfund site is a former gold mine in Rio Grande County, Colorado. It sits at an elevation of 11,000 feet near the timberline in the San Juan Range of the Colorado Rockies. The area was a gold mine beginning in the late 1800s. In 1984, Summitville Consolidated Mining Corporation began open-pit mining for gold, copper and silver. Mining processes contaminated the surrounding area, including Wightman Fork Creek and Terrace Reservoir. Mining operations did not stop until the company announced its pending bankruptcy and informed the state of Colorado that financial support for site operations would not continue beyond December 1992. On December 16, 1992, EPA Region 8 assumed control and immediately began emergency removals to address the open pit mine, contaminated soil and sediment. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1994. Today, EPA and the state have reclaimed and revegetated the former mine lands to prevent further contamination of surrounding creeks and streams. The site lies within the Rio Grande National Forest,  and cleanup efforts restored wetlands and native grasses along the Alamosa River. A treatment plant removes high metals concentrations from acid mine drainage originating at the site. The treatment plant significantly contributes to improving water quality and restoring fish and aquatic life in the Alamosa River and Terrace Reservoir. The treatment plant uses a significant amount of electricity; EPA and the state have been looking to reduce this expense and footprint. While solar is not practical at high elevations, the site currently uses power from a community solar garden in Antonito, a town 40 miles to the south at a much lower elevation. EPA and the state are looking to expand the use of renewable energy for the site’s water treatment plant through increased input of solar energy from the valley.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Uravan Uranium Project (Union Carbide Corp.)

The 700-acre Uravan Uranium Project Superfund site is located in Uravan, Colorado. A radium recovery plant began operating on site in 1912. From the 1936 to 1984, the plant processed uranium and vanadium. Site activities left wastes on site and contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site, which included the town of Uravan, to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. Cleanup involved moving more than 3 million cubic yards of mill wastes and contaminated materials along the San Miguel River to secure repositories on Club Mesa, removing 350 million gallons of liquid waste from groundwater collection, as well as removal and cleanup of materials and contaminated soil from a 400-acre area around the facility. Remedial crews dismantled on-site mills, town materials, domestic waste and other structures as part of the cleanup. Cleanup finished in 2008. EPA deleted two parts of the site from the NPL in 2005 and 2007. Today, fencing restricts land use. Surrounding land uses consist mostly of fall and winter grazing of beef cattle. Recreation activities – mountain biking, four-wheel driving, camping and rafting – take place near the site and at the site areas taken off the NPL. Limited mine reclamation and exploration drilling efforts also take place near the site. Publicly accessible county roads E-22 and Y-11 remain in use on the site. In the future, the potentially responsible party (PRP) will transfer the site to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Legacy Management program, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Montrose County. As of 2021, institutional controls for each of the transferred lands are under consideration by the PRP, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, DOE, EPA, Montrose County and BLM.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Vasquez Boulevard and I-70

A residential property on site, before (left) and after (right) excavation work to remove contaminated soils
Vasquez Boulevard and I-70

The Vasquez Boulevard and Interstate-70 (VB/I70) Superfund site covers 4.5 square miles in Denver, Colorado. The former Omaha & Grant Smelter and the Argo Smelter operated on site. Smelting operations began as early as 1878. These operations contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1999. Cleanup included sampling of over 4,500 residential properties and removal of contaminated soil at about 800 residential properties. Excavated areas were backfilled with clean soil. As part of cleanup efforts, EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Community Health Program helped to provide residents with information about health risks. People continue to live on site. Ten schools and seven parks remain in use. In 2019, EPA deleted the residential soils part of the site from the NPL. All appropriate response actions, apart from maintenance and monitoring, have finished on that part of the site. Investigations and more activities to address contaminated materials at the former smelter locations are ongoing. The former Omaha & Grant Smelter location now houses the a bottling company, the Denver Coliseum, and other commercial and industrial businesses, as well as Globeville Landing Park. The former Argo smelter location is in a highly industrial/commercial area at the intersection of Interstate 70 and Interstate 25. EPA is working closely with the state and the city and county of Denver to expedite cleanup and support future redevelopment efforts. In 2018, the city completed a drainage project aimed at flood mitigation and better stormwater drainage for the Elyria, Swansea, Cole, Clayton and Globeville neighborhoods. The project will also provide more habitat and recreation opportunities in the area.
Last updated August 2021

As of October 2022, EPA had data on 36 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 871 people and generated an estimated $72,826,523 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Last updated on February 28, 2023