The spill sent lead, arsenic, cadmium, and other contaminants into the 126-mile-long river, turning the water a mustard hue. Federal officials say all but one of a test batch of fingerling trout deliberately exposed to the water survived over the weekend. Results won’t be known for at least two weeks.
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Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes discussed the legal implications with his New Mexico counterpart, Hector Balderas, and planned to hold a similar call with Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, Reyes’ office said Monday. For 100 miles downstream, the river “looked like aluminum paint”, according to a Durango Herald reporter at the time; fish placed in a cage in the water in Durango all died within 24 hours. But as others have pointed out, there are various reasons cleanup at this and other sites has been complicated.
The agency also plans a survey of wild fish in the Animas and will compare it to a survey done past year.
That announcement could signal an end to a dispute between the agency and Colorado, which wants to reopen the river to boating and fishing, key parts of the area’s tourism economy.
“I would hope that it would not be necessary”, Coffman, a Republican, said.
“People were extremely scared even to be around the river because of the unknowns that had gone into the river exactly”, he said, “but we’re starting to get educated now, exactly what it is”.
The former geologist said that if there’s a “silver lining” to the disaster, it will be a new relationship between the state and the EPA to solve the problem.
The spill from the mine flowed down Cement Creek and into the scenic Animas River, which is popular with boaters and anglers. They’re focused a stretch of the river between the Shiprock, New Mexico area and Mexican Hat, Utah.
McCarthy agreed to make the trip at the request of the New Mexico congressional delegation, which issued a statement indicating the EPA administrator had agreed to make the journey after appealing to her on Monday.
“It’s completely irresponsible for the EPA not to have informed New Mexico immediately.”
McCarthy on Tuesday said that her agency accepted “full responsibility” for the spill, and said the agency was “absolutely deeply sorry” and that it expects lawsuits.
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
“It is imperative that the EPA quickly take steps to fix the damage from this spill”, Smith said. Instead, the work “unexpectedly triggered” the blowout, sending tainted water into the Animas River. It washed down the river and is believed to have passed into Utah, but it’s hard to detect because it’s been diluted. The EPA says the water’s moving fast enough so that the metals will disperse along the river until they return to normal levels.
However, local and tribal officials are concerned about river sediment being contaminated and the potential long-term effects.
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Of the many communities affected by the 3 million gallons of mine wastewater spilled into the Animas River and beyond, the Navajo Nation has had the sharpest criticisms for the Environmental Protection Agency.
