Group feels Irwin Cat Skiing didn’t follow proper protocol

Irwin feels situation was handled properly

A group of Irwin residents who have fought the efforts of the Eleven group and Irwin Backcountry Guides (IBG) to expand its operations in the Irwin area would like to see the business at least fined for an accident that ended with a snowcat tipping on its side on the lake last week.

David Gottorff, president of the Lake Irwin Coalition (LIC), said his group has contacted the U.S. Forest Service, the EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) about the incident. Gottorff and his group appear to be calling for sanctions against the company because the snowcat leaked some fuel and/or hydraulic fluids onto the ice and IBG did not, in their view, report the incident to the proper authorities.
In a letter to the editor to this paper this week, Gottorff states, “The LIC is encouraging the USFS to take effective action against Eleven not only for the spill, but the failure to report the incident to the USFS, EPA or CDPHE before Eleven attempted to cover the hazardous materials spill with snow. Based on the LIC’s discussion with the CDPHE we expect a citation and fine to be issued to Eleven for a failure to report the incident and spill, as well as a possible citation and fine to be levied against Eleven for the spill itself. CDPHE officials stated that in previous cases such as this USFS officials have revoked the commercial permits of operators who have been cited for similar infractions and the LIC is encouraging the Gunnison office of the USFS to take this incident seriously and hold Eleven accountable for the spill of hazardous material into the water supply of [Crested Butte] and Paonia, their failure to report the incident and Eleven’s concerted effort to cover-up the impact and severity of the spill before it was reported and the spill could be assessed.”
CDPHE public information specialist Katherine Lemon said they are aware of the incident. “Irwin Backcountry Guides submitted a spill report to the USFS, which was forwarded to CDPHE. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The spill amount was reportedly quite small and fully cleaned up, though that has not yet been confirmed by USFS, whose land this incident occurred on, due to a high risk of avalanche danger currently in the area. CDPHE cannot determine any need for further cleanup or penalty against Irwin Backcountry Guides until adequate cleanup has been confirmed.”
Eleven’s global asset and development manager, John Featherman, said circumstances during the great February snow cycle presented some challenges for everyone, including Irwin. “As most everyone in the valley can agree upon, we witnessed an amazing storm cycle the other weekend. While the snow was certainly welcomed, it wasn’t without some operational challenges for a number of businesses,” Featherman said. “For Irwin Cat Skiing in particular, we faced low visibility conditions and significant amounts of snow, which contributed to our Tucker tipping onto its side near the spillway. We feel like the incident was dealt with promptly given the conditions and we contained the situation as swiftly as possible. Additionally, we have been transparent with the appropriate entities and worked proactively to provide the necessary documentation.”
Over at the Forest Service, Gunnison ranger John Murphy said, given his understanding of the situation, he doesn’t anticipate the need for further sanctions. “We have a report on this incident from Irwin Backcountry Guides,” he explained in an email. “The spill was minor and non-reportable. Irwin Backcountry Guides handled the situation responsibly and professionally. Irwin Backcountry Guides’ actions do not warrant revocation of their permit.”