06/08/2026
Sixteen years ago today, Cañon City faced a fight that could have changed our community forever. A corporation called Cotter sought to bring approximately 470,000 tons of radioactive soil from a Superfund site in Maywood, New Jersey, to its uranium mill just south of Cañon City. At the time, Lincoln Park was already dealing with the legacy of decades of uranium contamination and was a federally designated Superfund site. The idea of bringing hundreds of thousands of additional tons of radioactive waste into Fremont County was alarming, to say the least.
People stood up and fought back — families, neighbors, community advocates...One of those people was Royal Gorge Route Railroad owner, Mark Greksa.
Mark was a passionate crusader about protecting this community and believed Cañon City should not become a dumping ground for radioactive waste. He committed the railroad’s resources to the effort, funding-lobbying and advocacy work and joining forces with residents and community organizations that had already been fighting the proposal for years.
For years, residents, activists, local organizations, Mark Greksa, and the Royal Gorge Route Railroad worked together through hearings, legal challenges, public meetings, and state-level advocacy to stop the project… and it worked.
On June 8, 2010, Governor Bill Ritter came to Cañon City and signed legislation preventing the Maywood radioactive soils from being disposed of here.
The fight was won because people came together.
It’s worth remembering that the railroad’s relationship with Cañon City is about much more than current debates or politics — it spans decades and includes many years of collaboration and partnership.
For decades, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad has invested here, employed local families, brought visitors to local businesses, supported community causes, and, when we believed our community was at risk, stood alongside our neighbors to help fight for it.
Some of our proudest moments have nothing to do with trains. They have to do with standing up for the community we love.
We were proud to stand with this community then. We are proud to be part of this community today. We will continue investing in, advocating for, and supporting Cañon City for years to come.
