Residents press Buena Vista to seek state testing after smelter soil results

Multiple residents raised health and environmental concerns about the Morley Smelter area during the public‑comment portion of the July 28 meeting, urging the board to pursue outside testing and immediate safeguards.

Elaine Brown, speaking for the Growing Neighborhood Coalition, said local soil tests showed very high concentrations of heavy metals and urged federal or state funding for expanded testing and signage. “Tested sites averaged 600 to 1,400 parts per million with calculated hot spot maximums reaching from 21,000 ppm,” Brown said, adding that arsenic hot spots reached “300 PPM, a massive 440 times over safety limits.”

Tom Brown (identified in public comment) told trustees a young child recently entered an exposed foundation near the blast furnace remnants and said town wells had registered thallium in recent municipal testing. He asked the board to request Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) perform discrete and composited surface and subsurface sampling to track any plume toward municipal wells.

Trustees acknowledged the concerns and said staff has sent results and requests to state authorities and that CDPHE has reviewed town sampling. At the meeting town staff reiterated they are following CDPHE guidance and that the town had applied for a Brownfields or similar state grant to fund additional testing and evaluation. No emergency fencing or mandatory signage was ordered by the board at the meeting; trustees said they are awaiting state expert recommendations before taking further actions.