“The EPA’s actions this past week are inexcusable and will have a lasting effect throughout northwest New Mexico”, the legislators said in their letter.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency workers released more than 3 million gallons of contaminated water August 5 while working at an inactive mine site near Silverton, Colorado.
In fact, the he said the EPA was trying to return the mountains to their natural state by plugging up surrounding mines. The spill released heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury into a tributary of the Animas River, turning the river sickly yellow and raising concerns about long-term environmental damage.
Today, Governor Susana Martinez announced that she has ordered the New Mexico Environment Department to launch an investigation into the recent massive 3 million gallon waste spill that impacted the Animas River in Northwest New Mexico and Southwest Colorado.
“I would like to see what that proposal is”, he said, adding that if the agency doesn’t live up to its commitment, the state would consider legal remedies. Nature was poisoning the water even before humans got involved.
A second letter from the six senators was sent to EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins Wednesday, asking him to address 13 questions related to the spill, including: “whether the EPA followed its own legal obligations, policies, and guidelines in the run up and aftermath of the spill”, according to a press release from the office of Utah Sen.
The scope of the site where the spill occurred is visually stunning, according to Reyes.
EPA teams continue to collect water samples in the Animas River and in shallow, domestic private wells adjacent to the river.
The Interior Department’s report is expected to be released publicly in 60 days. The EPA claimed full responsibility for the spill. The river flows from Colorado into New Mexico, where it joins the San Juan River.
On the Navajo Nation, tribal officials continued to warn residents and farmers not to use water from the San Juan River, which was also polluted as a result of the spill.
“As the river begins to clear up, there are still many questions left unanswered by the EPA”, she said. The agency said it would work with the Navajo Nation on a monitoring plan for the river.
State officials have estimated that approximately 1,645 miles of waterways have been affected by mine runoff, including the Arkansas, Animas, Eagle, Big Thompson, Gunnison, South Platte and Uncompahgre rivers. Mine remediation operations throughout the country are being scrutinized to ensure they are being safely performed, she said. After the EPA spill, governors of those states declared emergencies.
All states with property west of the Continental Divide are subject to ownership and management by the federal government and its agencies, such as the EPA, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Forest Service.
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“The industry is and has been willing to contribute more resources and expertise to clean up historic mines that are not subject to modern reclamation standards,” Colorado Mining Association president Stuart Sanderson told the Denver Post.
