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EPA Causes Massive Colorado Spill of 1 Million Gallons of Mining Waste, Turns River Orange
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People kayak in the Animas River near Durango, Colorado, August 6, in water colored from a mine waste spill. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that a cleanup team was working with heavy equipment to secure an entrance to the Gold King Mine. Workers instead released an estimated one million gallons of mine waste into Cement Creek, which flows into the Animas River. Jerry McBride/The Durango Herald/Press Association/AP
newsweek.com - by Zoe Schlanger - August 7, 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was trying to protect the environment when it caused a major spill instead.
On Wednesday morning, the EPA said, it was using heavy machinery to investigate pollutants at the Gold King Mine when it accidentally released 1 million gallons of mining waste into a creek, local station KOB4 reports. The waste spewed from the creek into the Animas River north of Silverton, Colorado, turning the water an opaque orange color reminiscent of boxed mac and cheese.
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EPA Confirms Colorado Mine Spill Contains Heavy Metals
abcnews.go.com - AP - By DAN ELLIOTT and COLLEEN SLEVIN - August 7, 2015
Federal environmental officials have confirmed the mustard-colored muck that surged into a river from a Colorado mine contained heavy metals including lead and arsenic, but they didn't immediately discuss amounts or health risks.
The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that the spill also contained cadmium, aluminum, copper and calcium. EPA Regional Director Shaun McGrath did not mention whether the elements posed a health hazard but said local authorities were right to close the Animas River to human activities.
An EPA crew accidentally unleashed 1 million gallons of wastewater from the mine Wednesday. It flowed into the river through a tributary.
The Animas River is popular with boaters and anglers and runs into New Mexico. The EPA says tests also were being done there, but no information has been released.
(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)
Animas River Spill Huge Tragedy - EPA Officials
denverpost.com - by Bruce Finley - August 7, 2015
. . . During a packed community meeting Friday afternoon in Durango, Dave Ostrander, the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 8 director of emergency preparedness, said the major part of the contamination has moved through the area but the river will [be] closed for the time being.
"We are very sorry for what happened. This is a huge tragedy," Ostrander told the crowd. "It's hard being on the other side of this. Typically we respond to emergencies, we don't cause them. ... It's something we sincerely regret."
Ostrander said the wastewater from the mine contains lead, arsenic, cadmium, aluminium, copper and calcium along with other sediments in "varying levels."
He later added, "we are responsible for this and we are not running anywhere."
(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)