See Former Colorado Power Plant Now Closed Due to Contamination

All throughout the state of Colorado are abandoned structures, towns, businesses, homes, and more. Many, though not all, of the ghost towns that were once thriving mining communities were left behind due to contamination.

Read More: Picturesque Colorado Hike Leads to Abandoned Homes + Power Plant |

However, just outside of Boulder, Colorado sits another piece of property with numerous structures that was abandoned for the same reason, but this place is not nearly as old as any of the mining communities that became ghost towns.

Valmont Power Station Near Boulder Colorado: An Aerial Look

The 1920s saw the construction of the Valmont Power Station, a power plant in Boulder County that was positioned on the banks of Hillcrest Reservoir.

In its infancy, the power plant was primarily driven by coal.

Like any coal-burning operation, the Valmont Power Station produced waste in the form of coal ash which was disposed of on the other side of the property near the now-infamous Valmont Butte.

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However, as more information became available regarding contaminants related to coal production, tests were taken on the nearby landfills and eventually found dangerous levels of lithium and selenium in the wells and groundwater.

While natural gas and solar energy operations remained at the power station, Xcel Energy halted all coal burning in 2017.

According to Xcel Energy, there are also plans to halt coal production at two additional Colorado power plants. Craig Station Unit 1 is slated to make the switch by 2025, while Martin Drake Plant in Colorado Springs is set to do the same by 2035.