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Workers accidentally destroyed the dam holding back the pond, spilling {{convert|3|MUSgal|ML|spell=in}} of ] and ], including heavy metals such as ] and ], and other elements, such as ],<ref name="denPost"/> into Cement Creek, a tributary of the ] in ].<ref name="aug10spillfox">{{cite news | url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/10/navajo-nation-aims-to-sue-epa-over-devastating-mining-spill/ | first=Joseph J. | last=Kolb | title='They're not going to get away with this': Anger mounts at EPA over mining spill | publisher=] | date=August 10, 2015 | accessdate=August 10, 2015}}</ref> The EPA was criticized for not warning Colorado and New Mexico until the day after the waste water spilled. Workers accidentally destroyed the dam holding back the pond, spilling {{convert|3|MUSgal|ML|spell=in}} of ] and ], including heavy metals such as ] and ], and other elements, such as ],<ref name="denPost"/> into Cement Creek, a tributary of the ] in ].<ref name="aug10spillfox">{{cite news | url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/10/navajo-nation-aims-to-sue-epa-over-devastating-mining-spill/ | first=Joseph J. | last=Kolb | title='They're not going to get away with this': Anger mounts at EPA over mining spill | publisher=] | date=August 10, 2015 | accessdate=August 10, 2015}}</ref> The EPA was criticized for not warning Colorado and New Mexico until the day after the waste water spilled.


The EPA has taken responsibility for the incident, and the governor of Colorado, ], declared the zone a disaster. The spill affects waterways of municipalities in the states of Colorado, ], and ] as well as the ]. As of August 11, acidic water continued to spill at a rate of {{convert|500|–|700|USgal/min|m3/min|abbr=on}} while remediation efforts were underway.<ref name=NYT2>, ''NY Times'', August 11, 2015</ref> The EPA has taken responsibility for the incident, and the governor of Colorado, ], declared the zone a disaster. The spill affects waterways of municipalities in the states of Colorado, ], and ] as well as the ]. As of August 11, acidic water continued to spill at a rate of {{convert|500|–|700|USgal/min|m3/min|abbr=on}} while remediation efforts were underway.


==Background== ==Background==
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] within 24 hours of the spill.]] ] within 24 hours of the spill.]]


Many of those abandoned mines throughout Colorado are also known to leak out ].<ref>"Bibliography, Watershed Contamination from Hard-Rock Mining — Hardrock Mining in Rocky Mountain Terrain — Upper Arkansas River, Colorado " URL accessed 2015-08-12.</ref> At the time of the accident, the EPA was working at the Gold King Mine to stem the leaking mine water going into Cement Creek. They were building a concrete bulkhead to plug the leak, and planned to add pipes that would allow the slow release and treatment of the water. The crew's machinery breached a wall that was holding back the waste water. The mustard-yellow color of the water is caused by the ] of the iron, according to Ron Cohen, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the ].<ref name=csm>, ''The Christian Science Monitor'', August 13, 2015</ref> The chemical processes involved in acid mine drainage are common around the world where subsurface mining exposes metal ] such as ] to water and air. Many of those abandoned mines throughout Colorado are also known to leak out ]. At the time of the accident, the EPA was working at the Gold King Mine to stem the leaking mine water going into Cement Creek. They were building a concrete bulkhead to plug the leak, and planned to add pipes that would allow the slow release and treatment of the water. The crew's machinery breached a wall that was holding back the waste water. The mustard-yellow color of the water is caused by the ] of the iron, according to Ron Cohen, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the ].<ref name=csm>, ''The Christian Science Monitor'', August 13, 2015</ref> The chemical processes involved in acid mine drainage are common around the world where subsurface mining exposes metal ] such as ] to water and air.


As of August 14, a question had arisen about whether the waste water released by the EPA operation had actually originally come from the neighboring Sunnyside Mine.<ref name=kob.com>{{Cite news | url = http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3879904.shtml#.VdMTUaTH-M_ | title = Gold King Mine owner: Spill was 'a disaster waiting to happen,' water came from separate mine | publisher = kob.com |date = 14 August 2015 |accessdate = 18 August 2015}}</ref> Gold King Mine owner Todd Hennis said before work had been done at Sunnyside to plug a section of the mine called the American Tunnel in the mid-1990s, Gold King was discharging waste water at a rate of seven gallons per minute. After the work, he said the discharge rate had increased to 250 gallons per minute. In 2014, the EPA began investigating to determine the source of the water discharging from Gold King, but the project ran out of time before it was completed. The mine was sealed with a plan to return in 2015. A representative for Sunnyside Mine said the two mines are not linked.<ref name=cnn20150814>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/13/us/colorado-epa-animas-river-spill-owner/ | first=Mariano | last=Castillo | title=Gold King Mine owner: 'I foresaw disaster' before spill | publisher=] | date=August 14, 2015 | accessdate=August 21, 2015}}</ref> As of August 14, a question had arisen about whether the waste water released by the EPA operation had actually originally come from the neighboring Sunnyside Mine.<ref name=kob.com>{{Cite news | url = http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3879904.shtml#.VdMTUaTH-M_ | title = Gold King Mine owner: Spill was 'a disaster waiting to happen,' water came from separate mine | publisher = kob.com |date = 14 August 2015 |accessdate = 18 August 2015}}</ref> Gold King Mine owner Todd Hennis said before work had been done at Sunnyside to plug a section of the mine called the American Tunnel in the mid-1990s, Gold King was discharging waste water at a rate of seven gallons per minute. After the work, he said the discharge rate had increased to 250 gallons per minute. In 2014, the EPA began investigating to determine the source of the water discharging from Gold King, but the project ran out of time before it was completed. The mine was sealed with a plan to return in 2015. A representative for Sunnyside Mine said the two mines are not linked.<ref name=cnn20150814>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/13/us/colorado-epa-animas-river-spill-owner/ | first=Mariano | last=Castillo | title=Gold King Mine owner: 'I foresaw disaster' before spill | publisher=] | date=August 14, 2015 | accessdate=August 21, 2015}}</ref>


==EPA foreknowledge of risks== ==EPA foreknowledge of risks==
Through a FOIA request, ] obtained EPA files indicating that U.S. government officials "knew of the potential for a catastrophic 'blowout' of toxic wastewater" to result from the EPA's intervention in the abandoned mine.<ref>http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/aug/22/epa-knew-blowout-risk-tainted-water-gold-mine/</ref> The information was known to EPA authorities through a June 2014 work order that read "Conditions may exist that could result in a blowout of the blockages and cause a release of large volumes of contaminated mine waters and sediment from inside the mine, which contain concentrated heavy metals"<ref>http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28684371/epa-knew-blow-out-risk-tainted-water-at?source=rss</ref> and through a May 2015 action plan for the mine that "also noted the potential for a blowout.<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epa-knew-blowout-risk-colorado-gold-mine-animas-river-report-n414211</ref>" An EPA spokeswoman was not able to state what precautions the EPA took against the warnings.<ref>http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/epa-knew-of-blowout-risk-for-tainted-water-at-gold/article_6d937b8a-8162-597c-b6c4-4a5d40cd8695.html</ref> Through a FOIA request, ] obtained EPA files indicating that U.S. government officials "knew of the potential for a catastrophic 'blowout'" to result from the EPA's intervention in the abandoned mine.<ref>http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/aug/22/epa-knew-blowout-risk-tainted-water-gold-mine/</ref> The information was known to EPA authorities through a June 2014 work order that read "Conditions may exist that could result in a blowout of the blockages and cause a release of large volumes of contaminated mine waters and sediment from inside the mine, which contain concentrated heavy metals"<ref>http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28684371/epa-knew-blow-out-risk-tainted-water-at?source=rss</ref> and through a May 2015 action plan for the mine that "also noted the potential for a blowout.<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epa-knew-blowout-risk-colorado-gold-mine-animas-river-report-n414211</ref>" An EPA spokeswoman was not able to state what precautions the EPA took against the warnings.<ref>http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/epa-knew-of-blowout-risk-for-tainted-water-at-gold/article_6d937b8a-8162-597c-b6c4-4a5d40cd8695.html</ref>


==Heavy metals== ==Heavy metals==
The EPA reported, August 10, 2015, that levels of six metals were above limits allowed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for domestic water. The department requires municipalities to cease to use water when the levels in it exceed the limits. Some metals were found at hundreds of times their limits, e.g. lead 100 times the limit, iron 326 times the limit. The measurement was made {{convert|15|mi|km}} upstream from Durango.<ref name="denPost">{{cite news | url=http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_28614946/epa-taking-damage-claims-toxic-spill-animas-river | first1=Bruce | last1=Finley | first2=Tom | last2=McGhee | title=Animas mine disaster: Arsenic, cadmium, lead broke water limits | work=] | date=August 10, 2015 | accessdate=August 18, 2015}}</ref> The EPA reported, August 10, 2015, that levels of six metals were above limits allowed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for domestic water. The department requires municipalities to cease to use water when the levels in it exceed the limits. Some metals were found at hundreds of times their limits, e.g. lead 100 times the limit, iron 326 times the limit. The measurement was made {{convert|15|mi|km}} upstream from Durango.


==Environmental impact== ==Environmental impact==
] watershed, which drains into the Colorado river, showing the northern tributary of the ]]] ] watershed, which drains into the Colorado river, showing the northern tributary of the ]]]


As of August 10, the Animas River was closed indefinitely, and county officials warned river visitors to stay out of the water.<ref name=NYT>, ''NY Times'', August 10, 2015</ref> Residents with wells in floodplains were told to have their water tested before drinking it or bathing in it. People were told to avoid contact with the river, including by their pets, that farmed animals should not be allowed to drink the water and people should not catch fish in the river. The Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management issued a state of emergency declaration in response to the spill.<ref name=MSN>, ''USA Today'', August 10, 2015</ref>{{refn|The impact on the Navajo Nation has been reported in various publications: The '']'' reported that the disaster is "devastating to the Navajo Nation."<ref>, ''Press Herald'', August 12, 2015</ref> The '']'' reported that "Bottled water on the Navajo Nation is becoming scarce.<ref>, ''NY Post'', August 12, 2015</ref>". CNN reported: "the Navajo Nation in New Mexico appears to have the most at risk.<ref>, ''CNN'', August 13, 2015</ref>|group=note}} As of August 10, the Animas River was closed indefinitely, and county officials warned river visitors to stay out of the water. Residents with wells in floodplains were told to have their water tested before drinking it or bathing in it. People were told to avoid contact with the river, including by their pets, that farmed animals should not be allowed to drink the water and people should not catch fish in the river. The Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management issued a state of emergency declaration in response to the spill.<ref name=MSN>, ''USA Today'', August 10, 2015</ref>{{refn|The impact on the Navajo Nation has been reported in various publications: The '']'' reported that the disaster is "devastating to the Navajo Nation."<ref>, ''Press Herald'', August 12, 2015</ref> The '']'' reported that "Bottled water on the Navajo Nation is becoming scarce.<ref>, ''NY Post'', August 12, 2015</ref>". CNN reported: "the Navajo Nation in New Mexico appears to have the most at risk.<ref>, ''CNN'', August 13, 2015</ref>|group=note}}


People living along the Animas and San Juan rivers were advised to have their water tested before using it for cooking, drinking, or bathing. The spill also was expected to cause major problems for farmers and ranchers who rely on the rivers for their livelihoods.<ref name=fox>, Fox News, ''August 10, 2015</ref> People living along the Animas and San Juan rivers were advised to have their water tested before using it for cooking, drinking, or bathing. The spill also was expected to cause major problems for farmers and ranchers who rely on the rivers for their livelihoods.<ref name=fox>, Fox News, ''August 10, 2015</ref>
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The long-term impacts of the spill are unknown, but sedimentation is expected to dilute the pollutants as the spill cloud moves downstream.<ref name =USAToday/> The acid mine drainage changed the color of the river to orange.<ref name=riverpoison>{{cite news|last=Castillo|first=Mariano|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/10/us/colorado-epa-mine-river-spill/index.html|title=Pollution flowing faster than facts in EPA spill|publisher='']''|date=August 10, 2015|accessdate=August 10, 2015}}</ref> The long-term impacts of the spill are unknown, but sedimentation is expected to dilute the pollutants as the spill cloud moves downstream.<ref name =USAToday/> The acid mine drainage changed the color of the river to orange.<ref name=riverpoison>{{cite news|last=Castillo|first=Mariano|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/10/us/colorado-epa-mine-river-spill/index.html|title=Pollution flowing faster than facts in EPA spill|publisher='']''|date=August 10, 2015|accessdate=August 10, 2015}}</ref>


By August 7, the waste reached ], then the next day, it reached the city of ], the largest municipality affected by the disaster. By August 10, the waste had reached the ] in ] and Shiprock (part of the ]), with no evidence to that date of human injury or wildlife die-off. The heavy metals appeared to be settling to the bottom of the river because largely, they are ] unless the entire river becomes very acidic.<ref name = AP>{{cite web| title = Residents demand health answers as mine spill fouls rivers| work = Yahoo News| url = http://news.yahoo.com/epa-colorado-mine-waste-spill-larger-first-reported-080605079.html}}</ref> The waste was initially expected to reach ] by August 12,<ref name="aug10spillfox"/> and arrived on August 14. It was expected to pass through the lake within two weeks. The Utah Division of Water Quality said the remaining contaminants will be diluted to a point where there will be no danger to users beyond that point.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/14/us/ap-us-mine-waste-leak.html | title=River in Colorado Reopens as Toxic Plume Reaches Lake Powell | agency=] | date=August 14, 2015 | accessdate=August 18, 2015}}</ref> By August 11, pollutant levels at Durango returned to pre-incident levels.<ref name="NYT2"></ref> On August 12, the leading edge of the plume was no longer visible due to dilution and sediment levels in the river.<ref name="LPC812">{{cite news | url=http://www.lakepowellchronicle.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=77&story_id=4877 | title=Gold King Mine spill update | work=] | date=August 12, 2015 | accessdate=August 12, 2015}}</ref> The discharge rate of waste water at Gold King Mine was 610 gallons per minute as of August 12.<ref name=cnn20150814/> By August 7, the waste reached ], then the next day, it reached the city of ], the largest municipality affected by the disaster. By August 10, the waste had reached the ] in ] and Shiprock (part of the ]), with no evidence to that date of human injury or wildlife die-off. The heavy metals appeared to be settling to the bottom of the river because largely, they are ] unless the entire river becomes very acidic.<ref name = AP>{{cite web| title = Residents demand health answers as mine spill fouls rivers| work = Yahoo News| url = http://news.yahoo.com/epa-colorado-mine-waste-spill-larger-first-reported-080605079.html}}</ref> The waste was initially expected to reach ] by August 12,<ref name="aug10spillfox"/> and arrived on August 14. It was expected to pass through the lake within two weeks. The Utah Division of Water Quality said the remaining contaminants will be diluted to a point where there will be no danger to users beyond that point. By August 11, pollutant levels at Durango returned to pre-incident levels.<ref name="NYT2"></ref> On August 12, the leading edge of the plume was no longer visible due to dilution and sediment levels in the river.<ref name="LPC812">{{cite news | url=http://www.lakepowellchronicle.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=77&story_id=4877 | title=Gold King Mine spill update | work=] | date=August 12, 2015 | accessdate=August 12, 2015}}</ref> The discharge rate of waste water at Gold King Mine was 610 gallons per minute as of August 12.<ref name=cnn20150814/>


] ]
Line 93: Line 93:
On August 11, New Mexico Governor ] declared a state of emergency in her state after viewing the affected river from a helicopter, and said her administration was ready to seek legal action against the EPA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://krqe.com/2015/08/07/animas-river-waste-flows-into-new-mexico/|title=Contamination in Animas River becomes ‘Declaration of Emergency’|work=KRQE News 13|accessdate=August 12, 2015}}</ref> On August 11, New Mexico Governor ] declared a state of emergency in her state after viewing the affected river from a helicopter, and said her administration was ready to seek legal action against the EPA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://krqe.com/2015/08/07/animas-river-waste-flows-into-new-mexico/|title=Contamination in Animas River becomes ‘Declaration of Emergency’|work=KRQE News 13|accessdate=August 12, 2015}}</ref>


Multiple municipalities and jurisdictions along the course of the river, including the ], stopped drawing drinking water from the Animas River because of the contamination by heavy metals.<ref name = USAToday>{{cite web| title = Gold mine's toxic plume extends to Utah| work = USA TODAY| url = http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/08/10/navajo-nation-epa-mine-wastewater-spill/31399517/}}</ref> The Navajo Nation President, ], advised his people with livestock and farming not to sign a ] from the EPA saying that the Environmental Protection Agency is not responsible for the damage to crops and livestock.<ref name=USATODAY>{{Citation | url = http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/08/13/tribe-warns-residents-not-use-epa-forms-after-spill/31598753/ | title = Tribe warns residents not to use EPA forms after spill | newspaper = USA Today (online edition) |date = 13 August 2015 |accessdate = 15 August 2015}}</ref> Multiple municipalities and jurisdictions along the course of the river, including the ], stopped drawing drinking water from the Animas River because of the contamination by heavy metals. The Navajo Nation President, ], advised his people with livestock and farming not to sign a ] from the EPA saying that the Environmental Protection Agency is not responsible for the damage to crops and livestock.<ref name=USATODAY>{{Citation | url = http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/08/13/tribe-warns-residents-not-use-epa-forms-after-spill/31598753/ | title = Tribe warns residents not to use EPA forms after spill | newspaper = USA Today (online edition) |date = 13 August 2015 |accessdate = 15 August 2015}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==

Revision as of 00:56, 24 August 2015

2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill
Entrance to Gold King Mine from EPA site management web site. This is the adit known as Gold King 7 Level.
DateAugust 5, 2015 (2015-08-05)
LocationGold King Mine
Silverton, Colorado, United States
Coordinates37°53′40″N 107°38′18″W / 37.89444°N 107.63833°W / 37.89444; -107.63833
CauseAccidental wastewater release, approx. 3 million US gal (11 ML)
ParticipantsEnvironmental Protection Agency
OutcomeRiver closures (until about Aug 17 with ongoing tests)
Waterways affectedAnimas and San Juan rivers
States affectedColorado, New Mexico, Utah
WebsiteEPA updates
Gold King Mine is located in ColoradoGold King MineGold King Mineclass=notpageimage| Spill site shown within Colorado

The 2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill is a 2015 environmental disaster at the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado. On August 5, 2015, EPA personnel along with workers for Environmental Restoration LLC (a Fenton, Missouri, company under EPA contract to mitigate pollutants from the closed mine) caused the spill when trying to add a tap to the tailing pond for the mine.

Workers accidentally destroyed the dam holding back the pond, spilling three million US gallons (11 ML) of polluted mine waste water and tailings, including heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, and other elements, such as arsenic, into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas River in Colorado. The EPA was criticized for not warning Colorado and New Mexico until the day after the waste water spilled.

The EPA has taken responsibility for the incident, and the governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper, declared the zone a disaster. The spill affects waterways of municipalities in the states of Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah as well as the Navajo Nation. As of August 11, acidic water continued to spill at a rate of 500–700 US gal/min (1.9–2.6 m/min) while remediation efforts were underway.

Background

Gold mines in the hills around Gold King were the primary income and economy for the region until the last closure of a mine around Silverton in 1991. The Gold King Mine itself was abandoned in 1923. Prior to the spill, the Upper Animas water basin had become devoid of fish, because of the environmental impact of regional mines such as Gold King. Other plant and animal species were adversely affected in the watershed before the Gold King Mine breach, as well.

In the 1990s, sections of the Animas had been nominated by the EPA as a Superfund site for clean-up of pollutants from the Gold King Mine and other mining operations along the river, but lack of community support prevented its listing. Locals had feared that the label of a Superfund site would reduce the tourism in the area, the largest remaining source of income left in the region after the closure of the metal mines. Officials have noted that the mine is only one of 22,000 abandoned mines in the state.

The Animas River between Silverton and Durango within 24 hours of the spill.

Many of those abandoned mines throughout Colorado are also known to leak out acid mine drainage. At the time of the accident, the EPA was working at the Gold King Mine to stem the leaking mine water going into Cement Creek. They were building a concrete bulkhead to plug the leak, and planned to add pipes that would allow the slow release and treatment of the water. The crew's machinery breached a wall that was holding back the waste water. The mustard-yellow color of the water is caused by the oxidation of the iron, according to Ron Cohen, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. The chemical processes involved in acid mine drainage are common around the world where subsurface mining exposes metal sulfide minerals such as pyrite to water and air.

As of August 14, a question had arisen about whether the waste water released by the EPA operation had actually originally come from the neighboring Sunnyside Mine. Gold King Mine owner Todd Hennis said before work had been done at Sunnyside to plug a section of the mine called the American Tunnel in the mid-1990s, Gold King was discharging waste water at a rate of seven gallons per minute. After the work, he said the discharge rate had increased to 250 gallons per minute. In 2014, the EPA began investigating to determine the source of the water discharging from Gold King, but the project ran out of time before it was completed. The mine was sealed with a plan to return in 2015. A representative for Sunnyside Mine said the two mines are not linked.

EPA foreknowledge of risks

Through a FOIA request, Associated Press obtained EPA files indicating that U.S. government officials "knew of the potential for a catastrophic 'blowout'" to result from the EPA's intervention in the abandoned mine. The information was known to EPA authorities through a June 2014 work order that read "Conditions may exist that could result in a blowout of the blockages and cause a release of large volumes of contaminated mine waters and sediment from inside the mine, which contain concentrated heavy metals" and through a May 2015 action plan for the mine that "also noted the potential for a blowout." An EPA spokeswoman was not able to state what precautions the EPA took against the warnings.

Heavy metals

The EPA reported, August 10, 2015, that levels of six metals were above limits allowed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for domestic water. The department requires municipalities to cease to use water when the levels in it exceed the limits. Some metals were found at hundreds of times their limits, e.g. lead 100 times the limit, iron 326 times the limit. The measurement was made 15 miles (24 km) upstream from Durango.

Environmental impact

A map of the San Juan River watershed, which drains into the Colorado river, showing the northern tributary of the Animas River

As of August 10, the Animas River was closed indefinitely, and county officials warned river visitors to stay out of the water. Residents with wells in floodplains were told to have their water tested before drinking it or bathing in it. People were told to avoid contact with the river, including by their pets, that farmed animals should not be allowed to drink the water and people should not catch fish in the river. The Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management issued a state of emergency declaration in response to the spill.

People living along the Animas and San Juan rivers were advised to have their water tested before using it for cooking, drinking, or bathing. The spill also was expected to cause major problems for farmers and ranchers who rely on the rivers for their livelihoods.

The long-term impacts of the spill are unknown, but sedimentation is expected to dilute the pollutants as the spill cloud moves downstream. The acid mine drainage changed the color of the river to orange.

By August 7, the waste reached Aztec, New Mexico, then the next day, it reached the city of Farmington, the largest municipality affected by the disaster. By August 10, the waste had reached the San Juan River in New Mexico and Shiprock (part of the Navajo Nation), with no evidence to that date of human injury or wildlife die-off. The heavy metals appeared to be settling to the bottom of the river because largely, they are insoluble unless the entire river becomes very acidic. The waste was initially expected to reach Lake Powell by August 12, and arrived on August 14. It was expected to pass through the lake within two weeks. The Utah Division of Water Quality said the remaining contaminants will be diluted to a point where there will be no danger to users beyond that point. By August 11, pollutant levels at Durango returned to pre-incident levels. On August 12, the leading edge of the plume was no longer visible due to dilution and sediment levels in the river. The discharge rate of waste water at Gold King Mine was 610 gallons per minute as of August 12.

Emergency tailing ponds constructed in response to the 2015 Gold King Mine Spill, pictured on August 7

Government response

The EPA has taken responsibility for the incident. Although the river turned a bright orange-yellow soon after the release, the EPA failed to notify local residents of the spill for more than 24 hours. Press and local officials sharply criticized the EPA for this slow response.

On August 8, the governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper declared a disaster.

On August 11, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez declared a state of emergency in her state after viewing the affected river from a helicopter, and said her administration was ready to seek legal action against the EPA.

Multiple municipalities and jurisdictions along the course of the river, including the Navajo Nation, stopped drawing drinking water from the Animas River because of the contamination by heavy metals. The Navajo Nation President, Russell Begaye, advised his people with livestock and farming not to sign a form from the EPA saying that the Environmental Protection Agency is not responsible for the damage to crops and livestock.

See also

Notes

  1. The impact on the Navajo Nation has been reported in various publications: The Portland Press Herald reported that the disaster is "devastating to the Navajo Nation." The New York Post reported that "Bottled water on the Navajo Nation is becoming scarce.". CNN reported: "the Navajo Nation in New Mexico appears to have the most at risk.

References

  1. Schlanger, Zoë (August 7, 2015). "EPA Causes Massive Spill of Mining Waste Water in Colorado, Turns Animas River Bright Orange". Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  2. Harder, Amy; Berzon, Alexandra; Forsyth, Jennifer (August 12, 2015). "EPA Contractor Involved in Colorado Spill Identified as Environmental Restoration". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference denPost was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Kolb, Joseph J. (August 10, 2015). "'They're not going to get away with this': Anger mounts at EPA over mining spill". Fox News. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  5. ^ Kaplan, Sarah (August 10, 2015). "What the EPA was doing when it sent yellow sludge spilling into a Colorado creek". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
  6. Driessen, Paul (August 21, 2015). "EPA's gross negligence at Gold King". Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  7. ^ "Residents demand health answers as mine spill fouls rivers". Yahoo News.
  8. "Colorado now faults EPA for mine spill after decades of pushing away federal Superfund help", Star Tribune, August 11, 2015
  9. "How are they going to clean up that Colorado mine spill?", The Christian Science Monitor, August 13, 2015
  10. "Gold King Mine owner: Spill was 'a disaster waiting to happen,' water came from separate mine". kob.com. August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  11. ^ Castillo, Mariano (August 14, 2015). "Gold King Mine owner: 'I foresaw disaster' before spill". CNN. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  12. http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/aug/22/epa-knew-blowout-risk-tainted-water-gold-mine/
  13. http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28684371/epa-knew-blow-out-risk-tainted-water-at?source=rss
  14. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epa-knew-blowout-risk-colorado-gold-mine-animas-river-report-n414211
  15. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/epa-knew-of-blowout-risk-for-tainted-water-at-gold/article_6d937b8a-8162-597c-b6c4-4a5d40cd8695.html
  16. "EPA: Pollution from mine spill much worse than feared", USA Today, August 10, 2015
  17. "Southwest states may face long-term risk from Colorado mine spillage", Press Herald, August 12, 2015
  18. "Navajo Nation feels brunt of Colorado mine leak", NY Post, August 12, 2015
  19. "Damage to Navajo Nation water goes beyond money", CNN, August 13, 2015
  20. "'They're not going to get away with this': Anger mounts at EPA over mining spill", Fox News, August 10, 2015
  21. Cite error: The named reference USAToday was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. Castillo, Mariano (August 10, 2015). "Pollution flowing faster than facts in EPA spill". CNN. Retrieved August 10, 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. Cite error: The named reference NYT2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. "Gold King Mine spill update". Lake Powell Chronicle. August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  25. "Contamination in Animas River becomes 'Declaration of Emergency'". KRQE News 13. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  26. "Tribe warns residents not to use EPA forms after spill", USA Today (online edition), August 13, 2015, retrieved August 15, 2015

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