{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://crow.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-crow-urges-epa-to-protect-coloradans-groundwater-from-potential-contamination", "Congressman Crow Urges EPA to Protect Coloradans\u2019 Groundwater from Potential Contamination", "2023-10-24", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Jason Crow", "C001121", "crow.house.gov", "crow", "https://crow.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "AURORA \u2014 Today, Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), sent a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address serious concerns raised by Aurora residents and Colorado environmental advocates over the safety of the Lowry Landfill Superfund Site (LLSS) \u2013 one of the country's most contaminated toxic waste sites.\n\nCrow's letter responds to development plans, including a proposed oil and gas project, directly adjacent to the LLSS that could increase the risk of toxic waste leaking into the Denver Basin aquifer system. Further contamination from the site could threaten hundreds of thousands of residents\u2019 access to safe, clean drinking water.\n\n\"Coloradans should be able to trust that their drinking water is safe. That's why I'm pushing the EPA to review the Lowry Landfill Superfund Site and protect Coloradans\u2019 groundwater from any potential environmental contamination,\" said Congressman Crow.\n\nCongressman Crow has consistently worked to protect the health of Coloradans and address environmental hazards, including protecting water quality at Buckley Space Force Base, reducing harmful PFAS \"forever\" chemicals, and helping pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law\u2013 the largest investment in clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in US history.\n\nA PDF of the letter can be found here, with text appearing below:\n\nMichael S. Regan\n\nAdministrator\n\nEnvironmental Protection Agency\n\n1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\n\nWashington, DC 20460\n\nDear Administrator Regan,\n\nNew concerns have arisen regarding the safety of the Lowry Landfill Superfund Site (LLSS) over the possibility that proposed oil and gas development in the Lowry Ranch Comprehensive Area Plan (CAP) might disrupt the site and infrastructure in the area. LLSS is located on 507 acres in my congressional district, just east of the City of Aurora. It was identified as one of the country\u2019s most contaminated toxic waste sites; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed it on the agency\u2019s National Priorities List in 1984.\n\nAn estimated 138 million gallons of industrial waste was dumped at the site, and numerous toxic materials are present, including: asbestos, heavy metals, hazardous chemicals, volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and methane. The investigation, containment, and cleanup of LLSS has been underway for decades to protect the public from the toxic material that was dumped into over 70 unlined trenches and elsewhere at the site. Several remedies have been conducted with EPA oversight to contain the contamination including covering of the landfill; removal of some waste pits; installation of a surface water barrier; removal and treatment of landfill gas; and groundwater extraction and treatment systems.\n\nDespite these steps, the site lacks a protective under-lining, and extensive contamination still rests above the expansive Denver Basin Aquifer system, which \u2013 according to the U.S. Geological Survey \u2013 is \u201ca critical water resource for growing municipal, industrial, and domestic uses along the semiarid Front Range urban corridorof Colorado.\u201d Residents, community groups, and environmental organizations have raised serious concerns regarding the safety of the LLSS and the possibility that proposed gas and oil development in the Lowry Ranch Comprehensive Area Plan (CAP) has the potential to degrade the subsurface bedrock.\n\nLocal community members remain concerned over potentially hazardous exposure through water contamination and airborne particles. My office has further heard specific concerns regarding the inadequacy of the seismic buffer zone required to safeguard the LLSS and its plume, the safety of the Aurora Reservoir Dam and the reservoir itself, and the impact of the CAP on compliance with EPA environmental standards and exposure to hazardous pollutants.\n\nEPA is charged with protecting human health and the environment. The EPA must disclose to the public any information relevant to the future safety of the site that could lead to contamination of water sources or public exposure to toxic material, and the agency should not delay in meeting with the public regarding any safety concerns.\n\nI ask the EPA\u2019s response to the following questions:\n\nWhat steps is the EPA taking to engage more closely with the public and to ensure full transparency regarding the safety of the site?\n\nWhat steps is the EPA taking to investigate newly raised concerns related to the safety of the LLSS?\n\nHow is the EPA coordinating its efforts with the state, local officials and regulatory agencies, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)?\n\nI request your urgent attention to this matter.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://crow.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-crow-urges-epa-to-protect-coloradans-groundwater-from-potential-contamination"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6335668042302132, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}