Boebert Seeks $5M in Federal Funds for Sludge in Water

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert has taken center stage advocating for residents of a small Morgan County community whose drinking water has been contaminated by toxic black sludge. Knewz.com has learned that Rep. Boebert is the first elected official to meet with the residents of the community and witness the disaster for herself.

A Disaster Two Decades in the Making

Situated roughly 50 miles northeast of Denver, the Prairie View Ranch Water District serves around 150 residents, many of whom say their homes are essentially worthless due to unsafe water. According to reports, the water crisis in Eastern Colorado has been in the making for almost 20 years, with area residents saying that they have been let down by the very people elected to protect them. It has been reported that for 16 years, the Morgan County Board of Commissioners allowed the Prairie View Ranch Water District to operate as a private, for-profit entity, despite state regulations requiring special districts to function as tax-exempt public bodies. This arrangement gave developers unchecked control over the water system while leaving residents in the dark about its true status. Meanwhile, the Colorado Division of Housing reportedly authorized a home installer who was not only unregistered but also allegedly used the identity and credentials of a deceased person to assemble homes and falsify safety insignias.

Department of Public Health Took No Action

Reports have further mentioned that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Water Quality Control Division took no action for a decade, despite knowing the developers had built the water infrastructure without state permits, regulatory oversight or a central treatment system. By the time officials finally intervened, the damage was done: the water system was already contaminated, the infrastructure was collapsing and the special district was financially depleted. “We have systems. We have policies. We have regulations that should never allow this, and it went by blind eyes and deaf ears,” resident Sam Belmonte said in a statement.

Boebert Seeks $5M to Remedy the Situation

Rep. Boebert is seeking a $5 million grant from the House Appropriations Committee to help overhaul the water system. “Her request will be put before the committee later this month and, if it is approved, will then likely be folded into a larger appropriations bill that would have to pass through the House of Representatives and Senate before reaching President Donald Trump’s desk for signing off,” reports mentioned in June. Boebert left the site with a sample of the water, which she intends to present to the House committee in hopes of securing money to help the 150-plus people who live in the Prairie View Ranch Water District.

An ‘Unacceptable’ Situation

While visiting the site, Rep. Boebert said that she was happy to come to the aid of the community, but “the state of Colorado should have stepped in years and years ago.” She added, “Every Coloradan, every American, every person deserves clean drinking water. This is unacceptable.” Talking about the initiative shown by Boebert, resident Belmonte said, “Today was actually invigorating. … It gave us some sense of hope that Congresswoman Boebert actually came.” He also called on Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who’s running for governor, to follow the Congresswoman’s example. “I ask you, AG Weiser, why aren’t you out here?” he said.

The post Boebert Seeks $5M in Federal Funds for Sludge in Water appeared first on Knewz.