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Homeland Security
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"The Storm Mountain Incident"
Pollution of our
National Forest Streams
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Contamination to Storm Mountain Properties
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April 17th, 2004 - Newspaper Boxes Damaged By Motorist... Sometime last night, a motorist apparently ran down the newly placed paper delivery boxes... The boxes, which are used for delivery of the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, and Loveland Reporter-Herald, were recently moved from Hwy 43 to their new location just north of the river on the west side of FDR 128, where the incident occurred... Tire marks leading into the boxes suggest the damage was accidental, and not intentional... No information on the vehicle or parties involved is available at this time...
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Paper Boxes after being struck by motorist |
View showing tire marks going into boxes |
Capsized Boat Sparks Search In Lake Loveland... Earlier today Loveland Police, Fire, and Rescue responded to a report of a boat capsized in Lake Loveland... Rescue teams sent divers and other help into the lake in search of possible victims... After tracing the boat via it's State registration number, the owner was contacted and informed authorities that the boat had broken loose a couple days ago and that nobody was on board... The search continued for a short time to assure nobody had been onboard after which the boat was towed back to shore and secured...
April 16th, 2004 - "In Full Bloom"... Our recent moist, warm weather is showing in the local wildflowers... From Pasque Flowers to Cacti, the mountain is starting it's yearly show of color... Beautiful displays can be expected along FDR 128, especially throughout the area burned by the "Bobcat Gulch" wildfire, as the season progresses...
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Cushion Cactus (coryphantha vivipara) in full bloom |
April 15th, 2004 - Busy Fire Season Predicted For Front Range... Experts today released their prediction for the 2004 fire season... It shows the entire front range in high danger with our area being in the greatest risk... Recent rains have somewhat dampened our immediate fire danger, but with a quickly diminishing snow pack and an over-abundance of fuel, this could be a season reminiscent of 2000 and 2002... A restricted "Fire Ban", not a total burning ban, is currently in effect for Larimer County including the Drake/Storm Mountain area thru June 1st of this year... A big part of our areas safety depends on resident's abiding by such bans... Remember, one small mistake can cause one major disaster...
April 14th, 2004 - County Tests Negative For Bacteria... It was reported today to SMN that results of testing performed by Larimer County Health Department came back negative for bacterial contamination in a resident's well, suspected by the resident to have been contaminated by road chemicals... The test results were also reported as, "Not indicative of Mag-chloride contamination"... No testing for Arsenic or other heavy metals has been done by the County...
April 13th, 2004 - "Station #8" Photo Journal Started... With the construction of the new fire station progressing almost daily, we have decided to open a "Photo Journal" dedicated to the Big Thompson Canyon Fire Station #8... You may access the photos by clicking on "Station #8" here or in the left sidebar...
Resident Fears Property Values Affected By Contamination... In a statement made to SMN today, a resident whose property was allegedly contaminated by chemicals in road run-off expressed fear that his property may have been devalued by the alleged contamination... "This is a full disclosure State and I have documented proof of Arsenic, Barium, and Chromium now present on my land. By law, I will be required to disclose this fact to any potential buyer. How much would you pay for a property with hazardous materials present? My hunch is not a dime. Now what am I supposed to do? We were considering selling and moving out of the area to protect our health, but now that will be next to impossible. I also wonder how many others are also contaminated but don't know? Maybe when it comes to real estate, ignorance truly is bliss in this situation. I am willing to bet that if it's on my land, that it's also in the dust coming from the road. That scares the hell out of me! We may be breathing in Arsenic each time we go up or down the roads, and those who reside along the roads may be breathing in even more. It is my understanding that another man up here on the mountain has been complaining about respiratory problems, possibility from chemicals in the road dust, for over a year now. So I know I'm not alone in this"... Independent test results of a sample taken by the resident, of road sludge deposited on his property via run-off, was confirmed by a certified lab to contain Arsenic, reportedly at levels far exceeding EPA guidelines... The presence of Barium and Chromium has also been confirmed, but no accurate information on if the amounts exceed EPA limits is available at this time...
April 10th, 2004 - Winter Storm Warning Continues... A "Winter Storm Warning" will remain in effect until noon today as a large weather system continues to drop heavy snow on the area... Snowfall amounts as of 7am are averaging around 8" on the ground with another 3" to 6" predicted to fall today... Residents are advised to use extreme caution when driving... FDR 128 is currently snow-packed with the usual icy spots... Chains, studded tires, and 4WD are highly recommended...
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Snow falls over Palisade Mountain Saturday morning |
Disclaimer: Stories and other content are submitted by independent sources and do not represent the opinions or views of Storm Mountain Net, nor it's employees... All stories are posted without bias to their content... While every attempt is made to be concise in our reporting, Storm Mountain Net is not responsible for any incorrect information...