These images, courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency, show the mouth of the Gold King Mine tunnel (left), and the channeled runoff on the mine dump (right).
Talking about ironies… The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revealed that one of its clean-up teams working at an old Colorado gold mine Thursday accidentally caused the spill of over one million gallons of mining wastewater into a local river.
According to a statement by the EPA, the contaminated water was hiding out behind debris near the now shut-down Gold King Mine entrance, where the crew was working with heavy machinery. The mine waste poured out into a nearby creek, eventually leading to the Animas River where the spill spread.
Gold King Mine discharge. (Screenshot from Fox13 video)
The agency said is currently testing the polluted water to see what toxins may contain. Previous analysis of the same mine’s water has shown it to have iron, aluminum, cadmium, zinc and copper in varying concentrations.
EPA said the spill does not threaten local sources of drinking water and the main contaminants responsible for the leak’s mustard-like colour are unlikely to be dangerous.
“It’s not going to look pretty, but it’s not a killer,” Don Cooper, emergency manager in San Juan County told The Farmington Daily Times.
Still, recreational activity on the affected waterways has been suspended until the orange-coloured plume has dissipated.
(Click on it to enlarge)
As the mine spill made its way through the river, authorities told people to avoid contact with the water. EPA recommended recreational users stay out of the water, putting a halt to summer kayaking, swimming and fishing for the time being.
The Animas River is the largest tributary of the San Juan River, which flows through Utah into Lake Powell.
17 Comments
Jerry Satterthwaite
So, are they going to be fined millions of $ and shut down for several months while some government agencies wander aimlessly around their worksites?
phil
Cant you read?IT IS THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY WHO DID IT!
Piceance Watchdog
How about mining companies start paying for their own mess, and not leave a huge toxic legacy for American taxpayers to remediate. REFORM AMERICA’s 19th CENTURY MINING LAWS NOW!
Charles
Hey Watchdog, the 19th century called, and they want you back! Get with the times my friend. You are very anti-mining I can tell, but without mining we would all be living in caves. Maybe you would be happier like that? You certainly wouldn’t be sending uninformed comments to the masses, that’s for sure.
drift123
It is only dangerous and harmful if waste water is released by private companies. If the government releases waste water it is all good and no need to worry.
Sudbury Yahoo
Can the EPA fine itself?
MiningOrBust
I’ve been traveling the US for work and I follow this story in the papers I read. Right now I am in Missouri and in USA Today they mention this spill. NOT ONCE did they mention that the spill was CAUSED BY THE EPA. Which makes uniformed people think that it is an active mine and that the mine caused this spill.
Of course if it was a modern day mine that caused this mess, people would be losing jobs, heads would be hitting the guillotine, sanctions would be set in place, fines, mining shut down for release study, the list goes on and on. Why is nobody making a big deal about the fact that the EPA IS RESPONSIBLE?
Mining comes with its downsides and black eyes, but unless you want to give up your laptop, tv, cellphone, car, lighting, batteries, tools, etc, etc, etc. then change your tune. Either get with the solution or shut up.
Mining provides a huge tax base for many counties, provides thousands and thousands of jobs, many of them ranging from low tech to very technical and even executive, and they produce the materials needed for everyday modern life that you so love to live.
If you are a keyboard warrior using your petroleum, rare earth, and precious metal laden devices to protest, then you sir/madam are a PATHETIC HYPOCRIT.
That is all.
M.M
I am so agreeing with you. The advantages are way bigger than the downside when it comes to mining. True it’s not perfect for environment, but that’s the essential of human being’s daily life. This is the reality of the world now weather those protester’s accept it or not. Unless they can find a way to get those metals from outer space as if polluting Galaxy would be a lesser big deal for them, lol.
Mark Harder
Perhaps USA Today was reporting a separate incident reported yesterday on these pages, in which an old mine had been releasing vivid wastewater in to nearby creeks. According to that article, pH was affected, but mineral contaminants were not yet analyzed. It seems that the operator & contractor responsible for today’s accident should be investigated. It seems like a clear-cut case of incompetence. And you’re right. This spill should be treated like any in the private sector.
I’m also impatient with NIMBY environmentalism. If we don’t mine the raw materials for our wasteful lifestyle in our own back yard, where will we? In some nation where environmental and safety regulations are lax? Do we export accidents like this one when we rely on imported commodities instead?
LAMB
THE EPA CAUSED THIS SPILL, THEN SAYS IT IS NOT HARMFUL- BS – JUST LOOKING AT THE COLOR OF THE WATER INDICATES A HIGHLY OXIDIZED ENVIRONMENT WHICH MEANS EVERYTHING WENT INTO AN ACIDIC SOLUTION, INCLUDING BASE METALS, ARSENIC ETC. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE EPA CREW DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE RESULTS OF THEIR ACTIONS WITH HEAVY MACHINERY . What did they expect to do by scraping around with heavy machinery????
EPA HEADS MUST ROLL over this mess.
doctordirt1
So they did it again. This is the third one I know of were the EPA was responsible for the spill, yet they did not get fined, and the same people are in charge. Typical.
happyharv
It would be nice to see the faces of the EPA people who made the big blunder….and why not?
A little bit of public shaming is in order here seeing as they all come with an attitude that they can do no wrong.
Cheers
Pat Wood
If there was ever a reason to shut these bozos down, this is it.
Pat Wood
This is what happens when very liberal Democrats (really, anti-capitalist socialists) are allowed to actually run something…….
Anopheles
The EPA and media are really shaping this story. Initially, the EPA really downplayed this spill. Now, there are saying it’s not really that harmful. Compare this to a spill caused by an active mining company. The EPA would be accusing the company of negligence, threatening hundreds of millions in fines, publicly shaming the mining executives, and making it front page news.
I also found it interesting that nowhere does it mention that the mine was shut down in 1923.
Russell C.
Like the IRS, VA Hospitals and Benghazi all I want to know is which ones are fired and which one’s go to jail?? That’s what happens to me and my business when I dump 3 million gallons of toxic material into peoples drinking water! Oh and this isn’t the EPA’s first rodeo this is there 3rd screw up resulting in a contamination disaster!!
Zulugroove
Like I posted in the same article a moment ago, I give all you people six months of banter, and maybe thinking of it from time to time then, your little minds will be off & thingkin about what Bruce Jenner is doing or what you will be having to eat for thanks giving.
Sad but true you yell & scream and suggest what should be done …fact is NOTHING will be done! ..get it ? Get used to it …NOTHING.
We have become pathetic greed drivin morons who can’t take care of anything.