“High in the Colorado San Juan Mountains, the Summitville Mine was operated by Canadian mining company Galactic Resources as a cyanide heap leach mine from 1986 until abandoned in 1992. Acid mine drainage resulted in continuous contamination of water used by downstream neighbors, including farmers, ranchers, fishermen and wildlife. Named a Superfund site in 1994, the Summitville Mine killed off 17 miles of the Alamosa River, requiring permanent water treatment at the river’s headwaters.”… Read the rest
Colorado has an estimated 23,000 abandoned mine lands, according to the Colorado Geological Survey. At least 230 of those mines are leaking heavy metals into the headwaters of our state rivers. State officials have estimated that approximately 1,645 miles of waterways have been polluted by mine runoff, including the Arkansas, Animas, Eagle, Big Thompson, Gunnison, South Platte and Uncompahgre rivers. 
Members of the Metro Denver Community Rights group have been supporting efforts by Denver Homeless Out Loud to pass a statewide Right to Rest Act in the Colorado Legislature. This Act would allow homeless people to exist and survive in public spaces, to sleep in a legally parked car, to share food or eat in public spaces, and have a reasonable expectation of privacy for their personal property in public spaces.…