Investigation: EPA, state underestimated spill potential
An internal government investigation has found that federal and state regulators underestimated the potential for a blowout from a Colorado mine.
The disclosure was contained in documents released Wednesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Investigators concluded that EPA and state regulators underestimated how much water pressure had built up inside the inactive mine before a government cleanup crew triggered the release. The EPA previously offered only impartial information on events leading up to the spill.
The Aug. 5 spill involved 3 million gallons of waste from the idled Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado, unleashing a torrent of toxic water that fouled rivers in three states.
The Associated Press reported Saturday that EPA managers knew that a large spill was a possibility yet had drafted only a cursory response plan for responding to a spill.
