EPA says three times as much contaminated water spilled out of mine
The Environmental Protection Agency said an estimated three million gallons of contaminated water from an old mine spilled into the Animas River. That is three times higher than initial estimates.
This comes hours after La Plata County and the City of Durango declared a state of local emergency because of contamination to the river.
Workers shared updates and information at a press conference in a packed auditorium in Durango. The revision to water estimates came after the EPA used a stream gauge from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The incident started at Gold King Mine near Silverton in Southwestern Colorado. The old mine was filled with contaminated water. Workers were trying to clean it up when they accidentally triggered the spill.
EPA toxicologist Deborah McKeansays she doesn’t believe wildlife will suffer significant health effects from the large volume of waste water.
McKeansays the sludge laced with heavy metals moved so quickly after the spill that it would not have harmed animals that consumed it.
The EPA still doesn’t know if there are any health risks posed to people or aquatic life. The agency also said it does not know the long-term impact this will have on the river and the area.
So far, the agency has built four sediment ponds that are apparently catching the contaminated water and sifting out metals and minerals.
U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner visited the area to survey the damage. Bennet tweeted Sunday afternoon that the EPA will be held accountable.
“Right now our main concern is addressing this blowout and ensuring safe water,” said Bennet via Twitter.
Gov. John Hickenlooper plans to visit early this week.
Dave Futey with the Western Museum of Mining and Industry in Colorado Springs said there are hundreds of old mines filled with contaminated water that pose a threat to waterways. He said significant progress has been made in recent years to reduce the impact of mining on the environment. However, Futey said mines created and then abandoned before regulations were put in place are creating problems now.
Outrage over the incident continued downstream. Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye plans to sue the mine as well as the EPA, according to the Navajo Times.
New Mexico Gov. Susanna Martinezalso blasted the EPA for not warning officials fast enough about contaminated water headed toward her state.
“It is completely irresponsible for the EPA not to have informed the State of New Mexico immediately because they knew that was going to flow on into the state and we could have worked faster and harder to minimize the impact on the state,” said Martinez.
In the meantime, EPA officials at Sunday’s meeting encouraged residents whose land has been damaged by the spill to file claims with the U.S. government.
