Gold King Mine spill: What went wrong and could it happen again?

We’re digging deeper into what happened at the Gold King mine near
Silverton when 3 million gallons of toxic waste spilled into the Animas River.

Locals say three months later, they’re still feeling the impact. Cole Glenn, with San Juan Angler says the town has always relied on the river.

“I think without the river here, this town would be much different,” said Glenn.

The name Durango translates to water town, but that name is now tainted.

“Seeing our town become sick in a matter of hours was painful,” said Trinity Brodie, a Durango native.

The environmental disaster started in Silverton. EPA workers triggered the spill trying to drain wastewater from the Gold King Mine. What was first estimated to be 1 million gallons turned into 3 million.

“I feel like they just went in there and were like, ‘oops, it was 1 million,’ then, ‘oops it was really 3 million’ and 3 million gallons and still going,” said Demi Hardason, a Silverton native.

Locals and state officials still search for answers.

“They had zero mining engineers on the EPA staff, so they don’t even have the professionals to administer what they’re supposed to,” said U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton.

Documents from a year ago reveal the EPA knew of the risk.

“The fact is, the EPA did not follow procedures, or customs or practices they should have,” said U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado.

KRDO asked the EPA why it never tested water and pressure levels.

“The mine was draining, which indicated that since water was able to escape, buildup of pressure was less likely. Also, site conditions made it difficult to drill and determine pressure. ” said an agency spokeswoman.

The spokeswoman also added they didn’t have issues at other mines.

“One expert noted that a similar investigation technique was implemented at the Captain Jack Mine in Colorado but did not result in a blowout.”

The EPA took full responsibility, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“I’m actually really glad that the EPA is here trying to fix the problem,” said Lary Markwell, owner of Hungry Moose Bar and Grill in Silverton.

It didn’t take long for the spill to reach Durango.

“About 36 hours later, there was a plume of orange water making its way down the river to us here in Durango,” said Brian Devine, communication specialist with the San Juan Basin Health Department.

“Once we saw it coming in, it was terrible looking. It was heartbreaking actually,” said Brodie.

The spill left an impact on Durango’s economy.

“Businesses have been affected as far as walk-in retail here at the shop,” said Cole Glenn.

The town’s health was also once at risk.

“There were some heavy metals that did test at high contamination,” said Liane Jollon, executive director of San Juan Basin Health Department.

The Health Department has been working with several other agencies to test the Animas River for the past few months following the spill. The river is now running at normal levels.

As the EPA works at a water treatment facility, locals are worried it could happen again.

“It should not have happened, but also, anytime you plug up the hole in the mountain, it’s going to come out somewhere,” said Steve Pendleton with San Juan Back Country Tours.

KRDO found several abandoned mines in Silverton and Ouray that pose the same risk.

“There are just a handful of them posing the same risks the Gold King Mine represented. I think we have to have answers from the EPA to know where these are,” said Gardner.

One abandoned mine we found in Ouray is leaking into Cement Creek.

We asked the EPA how they plan on stopping abandoned mines from leaking. An agency spokeswoman said they’re aware of problem and a list of abandoned mines here include which mines they’re working on.

The spill has been a wakeup call concerning the legacy mining left behind in Colorado.

“It could happen again. We’ve learned a lot and we learned how to better prepare for it,” said Jollon.

The EPA told us they will be working closely at the results of the Department of Interior report and the Office of the Inspector General’s report.

“Those reports will help inform our current and future mine remediation projects,” said an agency spokeswoman.’

In part two of this special report, we’re looking into the dangers posed by mines in the Pikes Peak Region.

Tonight on KRDO NewsChannel 13 at 10, we’ll tell you how the threat beneath your feet could wreck more than just our rivers.