Officials review California Gulch Superfund cleanup, lead-testing program and remaining obligations

At a Feb. 11 work session of the Lake County Board of County Commissioners, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment officials reviewed the history, current status and remaining obligations for the California Gulch (Leadville) Superfund site and the Lake County Community Health Plan, a long-running, community-based lead-testing and remediation program.

The discussion centered on the site’s mining and smelting legacy, the LCCHP remedy that focuses on reducing children’s lead exposure through testing and education, and the trust funds that currently finance the blood-lead program. “I’m Linda Kiefer. I’m with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and I’ve been the project manager on the site for 16 years,” Kiefer told the commissioners, summarizing the federal role and the site’s long history of cleanup work.

Why it matters: Lake County’s Superfund work spans decades and includes a set of operable units with differing remedies and institutional controls. The LCCHP — selected as the remedy for residential soils in parts of the site — continues to operate as the principal public-health tool to identify elevated blood-lead levels in children, guide behavioral interventions and, in some cases, trigger property remediation paid from settlement funds.

Key facts and program mechanics

- Scope and history: Officials said the California Gulch Superfund site covers roughly 18 square miles and includes the historic mining district, Leadville and parts of the Arkansas River floodplain. Long-term mining and smelting produced slag piles, tailings and widespread soil disturbance. EPA project…