Irwin Eleven snowcat accident case closed by state and feds

Scene is cleaned up and no threat to public health

The state has closed the case dealing with last winter’s snowcat oil and gas spill on Lake Irwin. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment notified the parties involved that the case had resolved.

The Tucker snowcat was coming back to town after a day of powder skiing with the Irwin Backcountry Guides on February 9 when it drove off the road in a whiteout and tipped on its side onto Lake Irwin.
No one was hurt in the accident but some fluids from the snowcat leaked from the vehicle. IBG personnel attempted to clean up the spillage but when Forest Service employees inspected the site days later, they found more fluid. So IBG and its parent company, Eleven, hired Envirotech Inc. of New Mexico to oversee the cleanup of hazardous materials.
“After an inspection of the site this spring, the CDPHE determined the site was clean of hazardous materials,” said CDPHE spokesperson Meghan Trubee. “Eleven and Envirotech Inc. cleaned up the spill and the CDPHE has determined there was no danger to public health and the case has been closed. While unfortunate, the accident was handled appropriately.”
U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Lee Ann Loupe said they were informed of the case closure last week. She said the agency was notified by email that “Spill 201-0096 has been officially closed and marked resolved as of 6/17/14.”
Eleven chief operating officer Kyra Martin said the company is glad to put the incident behind them. “On June 4, 2014 per communications between Envirotech Inc. and the Department of Public Health and Environment (DOPHE) we closed the Irwin Lake spill case with the DOPHE, United States Forest Service and the Town of Crested Butte per closing instructions relayed to us by the DOPHE,” Martin wrote in an email responding to questions from the Crested Butte News. “On June 20, 2014 we received confirmation from the DOPHE that the spill had officially been closed.”
Crested Butte Public Works director Rodney Due emphasized that the spill never threatened the town’s water supply but he is glad that the situation was dealt with and cleaned up appropriately.
“Everyone was very professional and the proper steps were taken in that situation once Envirotech was brought in,” Due said. “Given the location of the accident, the town’s drinking water supply was never in danger and that was our primary concern.”