Valmont Butte - Background Information and Project Documents

A CD sent to the city from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request can be viewed upon request. Contact Bill Boyes at 303-441-4125 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to view this informational CD.

The city has posted key documents relating to the environmental conditions and activities at the Valmont Butte property on this Web page. Please contact Bill Boyes at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 303-441-4125 to request documents not posted on this Web page.

Background Information

Council approved the purchase of the 101-acre Valmont Butte property in 2000 for $2,575,000. The purchase money came from three city funds: Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), Public Works/Utilities and the General Fund.  The Community and Environmental Assessment Process (CEAP) for the Valmont Butte proposals was completed in March 2005, and a final meeting was held with the Community Review Group (CRG) to discuss the CEAP. A formal consultation with several Indian tribes took place April 17-19, 2005.

On May 31, 2005, the City Council met with staff for a study session to provide a thorough briefing on the Valmont Butte proposals, the status of staff efforts to address public issues and concerns, and the next steps in the process leading up to a Council decision. This study session allowed Council to hear from staff about the Valmont Butte proposals, review and respond to the work to date and provide feedback to staff.

On June 14, 2005, a five-board public meeting was held to gather community input for the boards that would consider the proposals at their separate meetings in June and July (Environmental Advisory Board, Open Space Board of Trustees, Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, Water Resources Advisory Board and Planning Board). This meeting was continued on July 18, 2005.

On Aug. 16, 2005, City Council met and held a public hearing. At that time, Council decided not to pursue a Biosolids Recycling Center and directed staff to return with more information about alternative sites and a funding plan for a Fire Training Center (FTC).

On Feb. 21, 2006, City Council approved building a new fire training center on the Wells site, located at 63^rd Street and the Diagonal Highway, on land that was purchased in the 1950s by the Utilities Fund.  Council directed that the Valmont Butte property be offered for sale to Trust for Public Land or another buyer.  Council also directed staff to sell the Fire and Utilities portions of the Valmont Butte property and try to recover their purchase money.  The city attorney advised that since both the Utility Fund and the General Fund were used for the purchase of the Valmont Butte property, these funds should be reimbursed. Additionally, it was determined that the Utilities Fund should be reimbursed for the value of the Wells site that will house the FTC.

A Valmont Butte Study Session was held with City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007.

From January 2007 to June 2009, activities on the site included management responsibilities such as: removing graffiti, boarding up buildings, and removing prairie dogs from the tailings pond cap areas. Attempts to relocate the prairie dogs off site did not yield any properties that would accept the prairie dogs. Additionally, the Colorado Division of Wildlife eventually ruled that relocating the prairie dogs off the Valmont Butte site was prohibited due to possible contamination. The city also pursued a different location for citing a fire training center and instituted process changes at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, which reduced the need for a biosolids facility.

June 4, 2009 - Beginning Friday, June 5, 2009, the City of Boulder and its contractor, Casey Resources, Inc., began staking grids on the Valmont Butte property for soil sampling as part of the Colorado Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCUP) application process. The city submitted a revised work plan to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) on May 13 and received an approval letter from the CDPHE to go ahead with the volunteer cleanup efforts. The purpose of the work plan is to collect the remaining data necessary to support submittal of a complete VCUP application for a Valmont Butte closure. The work plan calls for additional soil sampling and is responsive to other EPA recommendations for the site.

Nov. 24, 2009 - Casey Resources completed an extensive investigation of the Valmont Butte site on behalf of the City of Boulder. The investigation was completed and sent to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) to provide information needed to support a Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCUP) application that was submitted to CDPHE for approval. The report (posted below) does not contain the large attachments, in order to make it small enough to be downloaded. A copy of the entire report, including all attachments, is available upon request. If you would like a copy of the site investigation report in its entirety, please contact Bill Boyes at 303-441-4125 and leave your name, mailing address, and telephone number. The report will be provided on a CD that is mailed to you.

See the  Identification and confirmation of soils requiring long term management Investigation Report

•  See the Addendum # 1 to the report in response to verbal comments by CDPHE

•  Letter from Casey Resource, Inc. to CDPHE regardin the Voluntary Cleanup Application for Valmont Butte property - Sent to CDPHE on Aug. 30, 2010
•  Letter from CDPHE to Casey Resources, Inc. regarding Voluntary Cleanup Plan Approval for Valmont Butte property - Sent to Casey Resources, Inc. on Sept. 1, 2010

June 23, 2011 - Boulder County staff has submitted its report and recommendation to the Boulder County Commissioners on the city's Limited Impact Special Use Review Application.   May 11, 2011 Information Packet memo to City Council.

In August 2011, the Board of County Commissioners conditionally approved the city's application for a Limited Impact Special Use Review for remediation work that will occur on Valmont Butte. The approval gives the city the authority to go ahead with remediation work on the site as long as some additional steps are taken to preserve specific historic buildings on site. 

October 2011 - The City of Boulder, Honeywell International Inc. and Tusco, Inc. recently reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in the amount of $350,000, to resolve the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) costs for its past investigations at the Valmont Butte.

The City of Boulder also recently reached settlements with Honeywell and Tusco to resolve their liabilities as past owners and operators of the Valmont Butte mill site. Under those settlement agreements, Tusco's share will be $250,000 and the estimated costs for remediation are expected to be approximately $5 million, which will be split 50/50 between the City of Boulder and Honeywell, with the option to resolve the final damages in an abbreviated, mini-trial process. Honeywell will also be responsible for covering the EPA costs. More information about the settlements with Honeywell and Tusco can be found in an Information Packet memo that went to City Council in October 2011.

April 2012 – In response to questions raised by the Boulder Weekly and other organizations, the city sent this information packet memo to City Council on April 12, 2012.

Project Documents

The city has worked to compile and post all documents involving the past and present environmental conditions of the Valmont Butte property on this Web page. If you are aware of any information that is not reflected here, please contact Bill Boyes at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 303-441-4125.

Date	Title
March 5, 1985	Sampling Activities Report for Allied Chemical Tailings Pond
Oct. 12, 1999	Agreement and Declaration of Covenants  Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) termination letter on Hendricks Mining Co. Radioactive Materials License 329-01
Oct. 12, 1999	First Amendment to the Agreement and Declaration of Covenants for the Valmont Butte Property dated Oct. 12, 1999
Sept. 5, 2000	Purchase Documents for Valmont Butte  Statement of Settlement for Buyer  Owner's Policy of Title Insurance  Warranty Deed
Sept. 18, 2000	Phase I Environmental Site Assessment for Valmont Butte Property
Aug. 7, 2001	*Asbestos abatement for Valmont Butte mill building
May 4, 2005	Letter from Medicine Wheel Coalition for Sacred Sites of North America naming Gary Brown as the tribal monitor for the City of Boulder.
June 29, 2004	Letter from EPA to the City Manager
Jan. 6, 2005	EPA Analytical Results Report for Site Reassessment for Valmont Butte/Allied Piles site Appendices A through I for this document are available for public viewing at the Facilities and Asset Management office in downtown Boulder. Please contact Bill Boyes at 303-441-4125 to schedule a time to see them.
Feb. 24, 2005	Environmental Protection Agency letter - RE: Recommended next steps at the Valmont Butte/Allied Piles site
March 4, 2005	Valmont Butte Community Environmental Assessment Process (CEAP) Report
Dec. 16, 2005	City of Boulder proposed cleanup actions for Valmont Butte/Allied Piles site
Jan. 4, 2006	CDPHE response to the City of Boulder proposed cleanup actions for Valmont Butte/Allied Piles site
April 21, 2006	City of Boulder response to CDPHE request for changes to the proposed cleanup actions for Valmont Butte/Allied Piles site
April 21, 2006	City of Boulder request for site specific arsenic clean up level of 10mg/kg for Valmont Butte/Allied Piles site
May 2, 2006	Results from prairie dog soil and tissue samples and request for concurrence for further input for Valmont Butte
May 4, 2006	CDPHE response to City of Boulder clean up actions after requests from CDPHE were made and accepted by City of Boulder
May 4, 2006	CDPHE response to City of Boulder request for site specific arsenic clean up levels of 10mg/kg for Valmont Butte/Allied Piles
May 8, 2006	CDPHE response to City of Boulder request to relocate prairie dogs from Valmont Butte site
Feb. 2, 2007	Final report for Valmont Butte hazardous and industrial waste removal and disposal - summary spreadsheet
July 11, 2007	Letter to CDPHE requesting an extension on the cap restoration project
July 31, 2007	Letter from CDPHE granting cap restoration project extension
Nov. 16, 2007	Health and Safety Plan for Valmont Butte Prairie Dog Barrier Fence and Relocation (Includes Addendums I and II)
Dec. 21, 2007	Letter from the City of Boulder in response to the concerns presented by the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center - dated Dec. 21, 2007
May 15, 2008	City Council Study Session Memo, May 15, 2008
May 16, 2008	Appraisal of Valmont Butte - May 16, 2008 This document has been broken down into smaller sections for easier viewing.   Title Page and Letter of Transmittal  Table of Contents  Subject Photographs  Page 1 - Summary of Salient Facts and Conclusions  Pages 2 - 8 Special Considerations - Page 2 Identification of the Property -  Page 5 Legal Description - Page 6 Use and Intended Users of the Appraisal - Page 6 Scope of Work - Page 6 Type and Definition of Value - Page 7 Property Rights Appraised - Page 8 Date of Value - Page 8  Pages 9 - 18 Ownership and Property History - Page 9 Regional and City Data -  Page 9  Pages 19 - 23 Neighborhood Data -  Page 19 Zoning - Page 20  Pages 24 - 44 Assessed Value and Taxes - Page 24 Site Description -  Page 24 Description of the Improvements - Page 27 Highest and Best Use - Page 27 Appraisal Procedure - Page 30 Land Valuation - Page 32 Exposure and Marketing Time - Page 44  Pages 45 - 46: Certification of Value  Pages 47 - 48: Assumptions and Limiting Conditions  Page 49 - Qualifications of W. West Forester  Exhibit A - Photographs of the Cardinal Mill  Exhibit B - Photographs of Tommy Jones' Stage Stop
Aug. 18, 2008	Aug. 5, 2008 City Council Meeting to discuss extending the agreement with TPL and whether or not to accept the appraisal price - Meeting Agenda Item Cancelled by Council Agenda Committee because there was not enough information from TPL at that time to move forward.The option agreement with TPL expired on Aug. 18, 2008.
Oct. 29, 2008	On Oct. 29, 2008 the City of Boulder, with consultant Nature's Balance, began the removal of prairie dogs from the tailing pond area of the Valmont Butte site.
Dec. 3, 2008	An additional  Extension Request was sent to the CDPHE on Dec. 3, 2008.
Dec. 15, 2008	The additional extension request was  approved by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) on Dec. 15, 2008.
Dec. 2008	Installation of additional Prairie Dog barrier fencing was completed in December 2008.
Jan. 15, 2009	Weekly Information Packet submitted to City Council on Jan. 15, 2009 providing an information update on the Valmont Butte Property.
March 10, 2009	Letter to Casey Resources from CDPHE regarding the work plan for Valmont Butte
March 12, 2009	Information update on Valmont Butte Developments from City Attorney Office to City Council    Letter to CDPHE from Casey Resources, Inc. regarding work plan for identification and confirmation of soils requiring long term management  Preliminary Voluntary Cleanup Schedule from Casey Resources, Inc.
April 20, 2009	Response to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, "Comments on Draft Work Plan for Valmont Butte Property"
May 13, 2009	Letter to CDPHE and revised Work Plan for identification and confirmation of soils requiring long-term management - May 13, 2009.
May 23, 2009	Health and Safety Plan for Identification and Confirmation of Soils Requiring Long-term Management - May 23, 2009
May 2009	CDPHE approval of May 13, 2009 Work Plan
Oct. 1, 2009	Permit for lethal control of prairie dogs
Nov. 24, 2009	Identification and Confirmation of Soils Requiring Long Term Man Identification and Confirmation of Soils Requiring Long Term Managementagement- Investigation report performed by Casey resources.  Not all attachments are included in the posted report in order to make it downloadable. If you would like a copy of the  report in its entirety, please contact Bill Boyes at 303-441-4125 and leave your name, mailing address, and telephone number.  The report will mailed to you on a CD.
Dec. 14, 2009	Addendum # 1 to Identification and Confirmation of Soils Requiring Long Term Management
Feb. 3, 2010	Response to CDPHE request for written report of actions and activities relating to Valmont Butte during 2009
March 29, 2011	Limited Impact Special Use Review Application (sent to Boulder County).
Aug. 25, 2011	Valmont Butte Archaeological Monitoring and Discovery Plan     •  Valmont Butte Archaeological Monitoring Map     •  Directory of Cultural Resource Management Agencies, Consultants, and Personnel for Colorado     •  CO CRS 24-80 1301-1305: Historical, Prehistorical, and Archaeological Resources     •  25 USC 3001-301: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation     •  CO 8CCR 1504-7: Historical, Prehistorical, and Archaeological Resources Act
April 2012	Archaeologist Assessment - New Rock Feature Sheriff's Office Report - New Rock Feature CDPHE letter to Valmont Cemetery – April 2012
May 2012	EPA letter to Valmont Cemetery and Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center – May 2012
*	These documents are available for copy. Please contact Bill Boyes at 303-441-4125 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Key Documents from Boulder County Public Health Department

Revised Work Plan and Health and Safety Plan for Identification and Confirmation of Soils Requiring Long-term Management

•  CDPHE approval of May 13, 2009 Work Plan
•  Health and Safety Plan for Identification and Confirmation of Soils Requiring Long-term Management - May 23, 2009
•  Letter to CDPHE and revised Work Plan for identification and confirmation of soils requiring long-term management - May 13, 2009.

2007/2008 CDPHE Extension Request Documentation

• Additional extension request letter from Facilities Maintenance Program Manager- Dec. 3, 2008
  • Letter of extension approval from the CDPHE - Dec. 15, 2008
•  Extension request Letter from Facilities and Fleet Manager
• Extension letter from consultant on behalf of City of Boulder
•  Extension acceptance letter from CDPHE

Other Boulder County Public Health Department (BCPHD) documents

•  BCPHD 1
•  BCPHD 2
•  BCPHD 3
•  BCPHD 4
•  BCPHD 5
•  BCPHD 6
•  BCPHD 7
•  BCPHD 8
•  BCPHD 9
•  BCPHD 10
•  BCPHD 11
•  BCPHD 12
•  BCPHD 13
•  BCPHD 14
•  BCPHD 15
•  BCPHD 16
•  BCPHD 17
•  BCPHD 18
•  BCPHD 19
•  BCPHD 20
•  BCPHD 21
•  BCPHD 22
•  BCPHD 23

Information Packets sent to City Council regarding Valmont Butte

• April 12, 2012
• Oct. 4, 2011
•  May 11, 2011
•  Jan. 9, 2009
•  July 31, 2008
•  Sept. 13, 2007
•  July 18, 2006
•  July 6, 2006
•  July 7, 2005
•  June 16, 2005
•  April 15, 2004

Additional Background Documents

• Boulder County staff report to Commissioners on 2011 Limited Impact Special Use Review Application.
• Request for Proposal (RFP) for Prairie Dog Barrier - RFP # 45-2007
•  July 6, 2006 Information Item to City Council  (15.96 KB)
• EPA Site Assessment Results
•  Feb. 2006 Prairie Dog Control Permit  (127.66 KB)
• Valmont Butte Security
• Staff Contact List

Last Updated on Monday, 04 March 2013 14:53