While awaiting further results on the concentration levels of the metals in the water, the EPA released results Saturday showing how acidic the water became after the spill. High levels of arsenic, for example, may cause blindness, paralysis and cancer.
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One thing was certain: The effects of the environmental disaster will be felt for months.
Some images of the devastating effects of the Animas River spill have been posted to social media showing the soupy-orange waters now seen in the area. As the murky water traveled 50 miles from Silverton, it tumbled over rocks that kept it stirred. The Animas River cuts through the park. The bright orange color comes from sediment. Majure said the state is also looking at other sources of water for livestock.
Silverton and San Juan County officials have resisted efforts to launch a full-scale federal “Superfund” cleanup to address this problem due to fears of a stigma that could hurt the tourism they count on for business.
Initial estimates are that the release contained approximately 1M gallons of water that was held behind unconsolidated debris near an abandoned mine portal.
The EPA began the work because the mine had been leaking into the waterways.
“The Animas River, to Durango and Southwest Colorado, is not just a river, it is our lifeblood in so many ways”, she said. Companies that run river tours canceled hundreds of reservations during what should be their busiest month. It’s unclear how long this process could take. However, there is no estimate as to when exactly the wastewater will completely disappear. Loose material had collapsed into the mine’s cave entry and the agency wanted to excavate it back to the timbering. The crew was making an attempt to enter the mine as a part of a challenge to pump and deal with the water, EPA spokeswoman Lisa McClain-Vanderpool stated. Currently, no one has been placed on leave.
“I mean, that’s people”, she said, wiping her nose with a tissue.
The spill occurred Wednesday, in what appears to be an embarrassing mishap from the Environmental Protection Agency. “We have not been able to move this area to a listing under the Superfund”.
The metals must naturally settle out of the water into the riverbed, McGrath said.
Now the EPA itself has caused such a mishap. The wastewater that spilled into Cement Creek, which feeds the Animas River, reportedly contains zinc, iron, copper, and other heavy metals-relics of old-fashioned mines that went out of use over time, according to Durango utilities manager Steve Salka.
The spill was expected to reach the Navajo Nation by the end of Saturday.
For now, the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office has closed access to the river indefinitely. Some people along the banks had said heavy rain Friday night stirred up the murky water.
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But on Saturday the usually bustling river was empty, the water a sickly yellow. Affected residents had been advised to stay away from the Animas, and even irrigation of land at Fort Lewis College was halted. “Endangered species downstream of this spill are already afflicted by same toxic compounds like mercury and selenium that may be in this waste”, said McKinnon in the statement. The county is working with Wright Water Engineering to identify wells that may need to undergo testing for water contamination, Knowlton said. “This is going to be a long-term impact”.
