Rico Agreement Requires Cleanup, Protects Residents and Property
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced a town level voluntary cleanup and redevelopment agreement on Oct. 30, 2024 to address elevated lead levels in soils in the Town of Rico. The plan assigns Atlantic Richfield responsibility for residential remediation, establishes CDPHE oversight, and introduces a land use ordinance to limit digging and protect public health, matters that directly affect homeowners, contractors, and town planning in Dolores County.
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The state announced a new framework intended to confront longstanding soil contamination in the Town of Rico. Under the Rico Voluntary Cleanup and Redevelopment Program, Atlantic Richfield, known as ARCO, will remediate developed residential properties and provide funding and technical support for remediation of roads and undeveloped properties as development occurs. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment approved the town's remedial approach and will oversee implementation, according to the department release originally published on Oct. 30, 2024.
Local officials adopted a land use ordinance to regulate digging and excavation within the town. The ordinance is intended to protect the remedies that will be put in place and to safeguard human health by reducing the risk of disturbing contaminated soils during construction, maintenance, or private projects. For a small community where many property owners are closely involved in home improvements and land management, those rules will shape everyday decisions about landscaping, utility work, and new construction.
The agreement represents a multi stakeholder approach to contamination linked to historic mining activity in the surrounding mountains. Elevated lead levels in soils pose health risks, and the program aims to address those risks in places where residents live and work. By focusing first on developed residential properties, the plan prioritizes areas of highest immediate human exposure, while committing to broader remediation tied to future development of roads and undeveloped parcels.
Practical consequences for Dolores County residents include expectations about when and where digging is permitted, who will pay for restoration, and how contractors and town planners must coordinate on projects. Property owners may see remediation work that could influence living conditions and potentially property values, while local contractors will need to follow the new ordinance and work with state overseers and ARCO provided technical guidance. Town planners will be tasked with integrating the ordinance into permitting and long term land use decisions.
The Rico program also carries broader lessons for rural communities managing legacies of extractive industries. The model blends corporate remediation commitments, state oversight, and local land use controls to address contamination without resorting to immediate compulsory cleanup orders. For residents this means remediation will proceed under a negotiated framework rather than through litigation or emergency state action, with the state agency maintaining a supervisory role.
Implementation details, timelines, and specific schedules for property work were not provided in the state summary. Residents and property owners in Rico are encouraged to follow town notices and CDPHE communications for updates on when remediation activities will begin and how the land use ordinance will be enforced.
