What Vail Resorts Doesn’t Want You to Know: Pollution, Wildlife Harm & Questionable Ethics
Apr 28
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Vail Resorts' Pollution and Environmental Impact
Back in 2014, Vail Resorts announced something called the Epic Promise. They said it was a big goal to help communities, protect nature, and have zero carbon emissions by 2030.
But when you look closer, it seems like Vail Resorts may not be living up to what they promised. Their ads sound great, but their actions sometimes tell a different story. Let's take a closer look.
Epic Promise: Words vs. Actions
Vail Resorts says EpicPromise is all about being responsible and caring for the environment. They aim for zero waste, no net emissions, and no harm to forests and habitats by 2030.
Sounds awesome, right? But when you check the facts, Vail’s history shows lots of times when they hurt the environment or didn’t take good care of it and did not really take the responsibility they should have. Let’s look at some examples.
Related Reading: See "Vail's Sustainability Claims Don’t Ski Straight: A Tale of Profit Over Planet" for more info.
How Vail Has Impacted Forests and Water: 1999–2023
1. 2013: Problems at Heavenly Mountain Resort
Fined $94,000 for not handling hazardous waste safely.
Skipped oil tank checks, tossed aerosol cans the wrong way, and didn’t protect workers handling dangerous materials.
2. 2008: Lake Tahoe Pollution
Parking lot runoff from Heavenly Resort polluted Lake Tahoe.
They spent $3.2 million fixing it — but it showed they weren’t planning ahead to prevent the problem.
3. 1999: Wetlands Damaged at Vail Mountain
Built a road without the right permits and damaged wetlands.
Paid an $80,100 fine (way less than it could have been).
Ignored warnings about endangered animals like the Canada lynx.
4. Ongoing (‘99-current): Water Problems in Summit County, Colorado
Keystone Resort tried to double the water it pulls from the Snake River without any public input – signaling they knew they were in the wrong but tried anyway.
Snowmaking contributes to making the river’s pollution problem worse.
5. 2021: McCoy Park Construction Mess
Oil and sewage leaked into McCoy Creek during new construction at Beaver Creek.
Vail Resorts missed deadlines from health officials in solving this problem and did not get fined.
6. 2022: Bulldozing the Alpine at Keystone’s Bergman Bowl Expansion
Bulldozed fragile alpine land without permission.
The U.S. Forest Service made them stop and fix it before resuming.
They did not get fined – showing only a ‘slap on the wrist’ for the wrongdoers.
7. 2020: Expansion at Golden Peak, Vail Mountain
Using more water for snowmaking.
Cut down trees resulting in loss of wildlife habitats.
Expansion seemed to put profits first, not the environment.
8. 2021: Chemical Spill in Gore Creek
A snowmaking spill hurt 1.5 miles of prized creek.
Killed about 120 fish and much more aquatic life.
Vail Resorts helped with some restoration, but didn’t take full responsibility.
9. 2022–2024: Fight Over East Vail Housing
Vail Resorts wanted to build worker housing in an area important for bighorn sheep.
The Town of Vail fought back and eventually stopped the project after getting sued by the resort.
Are the Fun Initiatives Hiding Bigger Problems?
Vail Resorts has some cool projects like recycling candy wrappers into terrain park features. But are these just distractions?
If they don’t deal with bigger issues like water pollution and habitat destruction, these projects feel more like PR tricks than real change.
Critic's Note: It’s fun to ride recycled park features. It’s not fun when nature gets damaged to use them.
Final Thoughts
Vail Resorts' ads tell one story. The real story is a lot messier. A lot of what they do seems like reacting to problems after they happen — not preventing them in the first place.
Because they operate on public land, Vail Resorts should do better — not just when they have to, but because it’s the right thing to do.
What do you think they should do? Leave a comment!
They have lots of money and influence. They should be true leaders in protecting nature, not just talking about it.
Looking ahead we deserve real action and honesty from companies making money off our natural resources. Vail Resorts can — and should — be a real leader.
Take Action: Help Us Raise the Bar
If you care about protecting nature and holding companies like Vail Resorts accountable for thier pollution and harmful impact, please sign and share our Vail Gore Creek Petition.
Together, we can demand better from the businesses that depend on our beautiful outdoors.
Sign the petition!
Note to reader:
*This isn’t about attacking Vail Resorts. It’s about encouraging them to truly step up and lead when it comes to protecting the environment.
Sources:
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