619:
twenty four hours after it had occurred. By this time people may have consumed the water from the river, which at the time contained a higher concentration of metals than advised by national drinking standards in terms of consumption. It was not until weeks after the Gold King Mine Spill that the water was considered clean enough for human consumption. During the time immediately following the spill, the EPA initially underestimated the amount of contaminated water drained into the Animas River and diverted questions about the water assessments of the river. In addition, an EPA administrator did not show up to the
Silverton, Colorado area until a week after the spill had occurred.
506:
183:
29:
400:(424–48 L/min) between August 25, 2014, and September 11, 2014. The cause of this decrease was unknown but attributed to seasonal variation. While excavating the opening, workers saw seepage at six feet (1.8 m) above the bottom of the tunnel; they believed that meant that there was six feet (1.8 m) of water backed up in the tunnel. Excavation at the entrance was postponed until 2015, so that a pond large enough to treat that volume of water could be constructed.
335:
396:
In 2009, the
Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) plugged all four Gold King Mine portals by stuffing them with old mine backfill; drainage pipes were installed to prevent water from ponding behind the entrance. This work was complicated by partial collapse of the mine tunnel near the entrance. It was noted that the drainage system might not be sufficient to prevent a future blowout.
671:
At first the EPA recommended people affected by the spill to file claims, however they retracted this statement in
January 2017. The EPA is now motioning to dismiss all lawsuits, stating that they have paid enough through the $ 29 million they have spent to clean up the Animas River and other contaminated areas. EPA officials say they have immunity under the Federal Tort Claims Act and therefore do not owe more compensation.
426:
190:
409:
behind the plug. They planned to excavate the entrance beginning from the level of the top of the mine tunnel down to what they took to be the top of the water, insert a pipe through that clearance, and drain the pooled water. DRMS and the EPA discussed the plan and came to an agreement. However, they had misjudged the level of the water in the tunnel.
650:
River on August 15, 2015, the
President of the Navajo Nation, Russell Begaye, who had ongoing concerns about the water's safety, did not lift the Navajo Nation's ban until August 21, 2015. This followed the Navajo Nation's EPA completing its testing of the water. During this time, the US EPA had water delivered to the Navajo Nation.
527:
the blockages and cause a release of large volumes of contaminated mine waters and sediment from inside the mine, which contain concentrated heavy metals." In addition, a May 2015 action plan for the mine "also noted the potential for a blowout." An EPA spokeswoman was not able to state what precautions the EPA took.
441:
the water. Residents with wells in floodplains were told to have their water tested before drinking it or bathing in it. People were told to avoid contact with the river, including contact by their pets, and to prevent farmed animals from drinking the water. They were advised not to catch fish in the river. The
670:
A number of lawsuits have been filed against the EPA since the Gold King Mine spill transpired. New Mexico is seeking compensation in the amount of $ 130 million, Utah is seeking compensation in the amount of $ 1.9 billion, and the Navajo Nation is seeking compensation in the amount of $ 130 million.
609:
reported on allegations from the
Sunnyside gold corp. which claim the EPA was "running its treatment plant at a fraction of capacity" and that "more than 350 million gallons (1.3 billion liters)—150 times the volume of the Gold King spill—have flowed around the treatment plant into a tributary of the
362:
ecology. At the time of the accident, the EPA was working at the Gold King Mine to stem the leaking mine water going into Cement Creek. Water was accumulating behind a plug at the mine's entrance. They planned to add pipes that would allow the slow release and treatment of that water before it backed
440:
The impact on the Animas River was quickly visible; one
Durango-based journalist described the water color after the accident as "Tang that has been maybe mixed too thickly." The river was closed to recreation until August 14. During the closure, county officials warned river visitors to stay out of
395:
In 2006, a spot measurement of flow from this adit showed a peak of 314 US gal/min (1,190 L/min). The significance of this figure is unclear since flow was not being logged continuously. By this time, the Gold King was considered one of the worst acid mine drainage sites in
Colorado.
526:
obtained EPA files indicating that U.S. government officials "knew of ‘blowout’ risk for tainted water at mine," which could result from the EPA's intervention. EPA authorities had learned of this risk through a June 2014 work order that read "Conditions may exist that could result in a blowout of
408:
The EPA team returned in July 2015 to continue the work. They found that a landslide had covered the drainage pipes. When the slide was cleared, seepage was again observed at a level about six feet (1.8 m) above the bottom of the mine entrance, which they thought was the level of pooled water
649:
The effects of the Gold King Mine spill on the Navajo Nation has included damage to their crops, home gardens, and cattle herds. The Navajo Nation ceased irrigating their crops from the San Juan River on August 7, 2015. While San Juan County in New Mexico lifted the ban on water from the San Juan
416:
The EPA had considered drilling into the mine from above in order to measure the water level directly before beginning excavation at the entrance, as was done at nearby mines in 2011. Had they done so, they would have discovered the true water level, and changed their plan; the disaster would not
370:
site for clean-up of pollutants from the Gold King Mine and other mining operations along the river. Lack of community support prevented its listing. Under the law, the EPA had authority to do only minor work to abate environmental impacts of the mine. Locals had feared that classifying this as a
618:
After the initial spill had occurred, EPA supervisors were not contacted by the contractors who caused the spill until an hour after the blowout. There was no press release informing the state of the spill until around midnight that same day. Residents weren’t alerted directly of the spill until
591:
from the EPA saying that the
Environmental Protection Agency is not responsible for the damage to crops and livestock. Despite assurances of safety from both the U.S. EPA and the Navajo Nation EPA, farmers of the Navajo Nation, on August 22, voted unanimously to refrain from using water from the
496:
On August 10, 2015, the EPA reported that levels of six metals were above limits allowed for domestic water by the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The department requires municipalities to cease to use water when the levels in it exceed the limits. Some metals were found at
412:
At around 10:51 AM on August 5, the backhoe operator saw a spurt of clear water spray about two feet (61 cm) out of a fracture in the wall of the plug, indicating that the mine tunnel was full of pressurized water. Failure of the plug produced uncontrolled release within minutes. Rushing to
330:
in the hills around Gold King was the primary income and economy for the region until 1991, when the last mine closed near
Silverton. The Gold King Mine was abandoned in 1923. Prior to the spill, the Upper Animas water basin had already become devoid of fish, because of the adverse environmental
501:
reported, while the spill had "further limited aquatic life," its "resulting impacts on aquatic life, including the trout fishery downstream of Silverton, would undoubtedly be more adverse" were it not for actions taken by SGC, and that "Before the first miner arrived, there was massive natural
709:
The water was under pressure because the flooded adit sloped upward away from the entrance, gaining about 10 ft (3.0 m) in elevation over 1,000 ft (300 m) horizontally. If the water was one ft (0.30 m) deep there, this would correspond to the weight of 11 ft
657:
The EPA and the Navajo Nation are still disputing how to fairly compensate the Navajo for the damage caused by the spill. As of April 22, 2016, the Navajo Nation has been compensated a total of $ 150,000 by the EPA, according to testimony at hearings of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
602:
A $ 1.5M water treatment plant built by the EPA to treat acid mine drainage from the Gold King Mine began operation in October 2015. In June 2018, the EPA proposed a $ 10 million interim clean-up plan that was met with criticism for showing no actual benefit. Peter Butler of the Animas River
653:
An estimated 2,000 Navajo farmers and ranchers were affected directly by the closing of the canals after the spill. While water was trucked into the area to provide water to fields, many home gardens and some remote farms did not receive any assistance. They suffered widespread crop damage.
391:
were dry for most of the mine's recent history, as the area was being drained from below by the Sunnyside Mine's American Tunnel. Sunnyside Mine closed in 1991. As part of a reclamation plan, the American Tunnel was sealed up in 1996. In the absence of drainage, by 2002 a new discharge of
399:
In 2014, Colorado DRMS asked the EPA to reopen and stabilize the Gold King 7 adit. Reportedly no maintenance on the existing drainage system had been performed since it was installed in 2009. It was noted that flow from the drains had decreased from 112 to 12.6 US gal/min
586:
Multiple municipalities and jurisdictions along the course of the river, including the Navajo Nation, stopped drawing drinking water from the Animas River because of heavy metal contamination. President Begaye advised his people with livestock and farming against signing a
603:
Stakeholders Group wrote, "why is EPA not prioritizing where it can get the 'biggest bang for the buck' in terms of dollars spent for mine remediation?" and suggested that the speed of "Superfund clean-ups" may have supplanted local political interests. In April 2018, the
497:
hundreds of times their limits, e.g. lead 100 times the limit, iron 326 times the limit. Arsenic and cadmium were also above the limits. The measurement was made 15 miles (24 km) upstream from Durango. In January 2018, global science and engineering consultants
483:
The Utah Division of Water Quality said the remaining contaminants will be diluted to a point where there will be no danger to users beyond that point. By August 11, pollutant levels at Durango returned to pre-incident levels. On August 12, the leading edge of the
448:
People living along the Animas and San Juan rivers were advised to have their water tested before using it for cooking, drinking, or bathing. The spill was expected to cause major problems for farmers and ranchers who rely on the rivers for their livelihoods.
627:
In July 2018, a truck carrying waste water from a temporary treatment plant crashed into a nearby creek in the Gold King Mine area, spilling nine cubic yards of sludge back into the area. The truck was hauling the waste to a new storage facility by
319:. It is estimated that acidic water spilled at a rate of 500–700 US gal/min (1.9–2.6 m/min) while remediation efforts were underway. The event drew attention to toxic drainage from many similar abandoned mines throughout the country.
541:
reported that Hays Griswold, the EPA employee in charge of the Gold King mine, wrote in an e-mail to other EPA officials "that he personally knew the blockage 'could be holding back a lot of water and I believe the others in the group knew as
1575:"SGC Mining and Reclamation Activities and Metals Loading in the Animas River", by Steven Lange, M.S., Senior Project Manager, Knight Piésold Consulting, Knight Piésold Ltd., January 2018, pages 3, 5 and 19. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
295:
watershed. The EPA was criticized for not warning Colorado and New Mexico about the operation until the day after the waste water spilled, despite the fact the EPA employee "in charge of Gold King Mine knew of blowout risk."
452:
The long-term impacts of the spill are unknown, as sedimentation is expected to dilute the pollutants as the spill cloud moves downstream. The acid mine drainage temporarily changed the color of the river to orange.
231:(EPA) personnel, along with workers for Environmental Restoration LLC (a Missouri company under EPA contract to mitigate pollutants from the closed mine), caused the release of toxic waste water into the
239:
while attempting to drain ponded water near the entrance of the mine on August 5. After the spill, the Silverton Board of Trustees and the San Juan County Commission approved a joint resolution seeking
331:
impacts of regional mines such as Gold King, when contaminants entered the water system. Other plant and animal species were also adversely affected in the watershed before the Gold King Mine breach.
472:
and Shiprock (part of the Navajo Nation), with no evidence to that date of human injury or wildlife die-off. The heavy metals appeared to be settling to the bottom of the river. They are largely
820:
1947:
Rodriguez-Freire, L.; Avasarala, S.; Ali, A. S.; Agnew, D.; Hoover, J. H.; Artyushkova, K.; Latta, D. E.; Peterson, E. J.; Lewis, J.; Crossey, L. J.; Brearley, A. J.; Cerrato, J. M. (2016).
488:
was no longer visible due to dilution and sediment levels in the river. The discharge rate of waste water at Gold King Mine was 610 US gal/min (2,300 L/min) as of August 12.
247:
Contractors accidentally destroyed the plug holding water trapped inside the mine, which caused an overflow of the pond, spilling three million US gallons (eleven thousand cubic metres) of
1687:
561:
The EPA took responsibility for the incident. The EPA had notified local residents of the spill 24 hours after it occurred, a delay which the press and local officials criticized. The
379:
Gold King Mine was originally discovered and owned by Olaf Nelson the “Mighty Swede” in 1887. Nelson died before he could develop the mine leaving his widow to sell the mine in 1894.
1572:
1911:
1050:
1142:
1855:
1422:
893:
1515:
2098:
392:
particularly contaminated water had begun to flow from the Gold King Level 7 adit. Flow there increased again after the nearby Mogul Mine was sealed by its owners in 2003.
583:
also declared a state of emergency, after having viewed the affected river from a helicopter, and said her administration was ready to seek legal action against the EPA.
363:
up enough to blow out. Unknown to the crew, the mine tunnel behind the plug was already full of pressurized water. It burst through the plug soon after excavation began.
1587:
Project No.: DV102-493.01 Doc. No.: DV-18-0935, Knight Piésold Consulting, Knight Piésold & Co., Denver, Colorado, USA, August 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
1192:
86:
2243:
2238:
2228:
790:
731:
reported that "Bottled water on the Navajo Nation is becoming scarce.". CNN reported: "the Navajo Nation in New Mexico appears to have the most at risk."
498:
824:
371:
Superfund site would reduce tourism in the area, which was the largest remaining source of income for the region since the closure of the metal mines.
1745:
1296:
989:
943:
2158:
1771:
1648:
2213:
2208:
1371:
971:
595:
Following the spill, the local governments of Silverton and San Juan County decided to accept Superfund money to fully remediate the mine. The
768:
2253:
1355:
228:
133:
1856:
https://library.ndsu.edu/ir/bitstream/handle/10365/28719/Case%20Study%20of%20the%20Gold%20King%20Mine%20Spill.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
1602:
1098:"Bibliography, Watershed Contamination from Hard-Rock Mining – Hardrock Mining in Rocky Mountain Terrain – Upper Arkansas River, Colorado "
2183:
924:
750:
1445:
445:
Commission on Emergency Management issued a state of emergency declaration in response to the spill; it has suffered devastating effects.
2268:
1339:
565:
reported, 17 days after the spill: "In the wake of the spill, it has typically taken days to get any detailed response from the agency."
2008:
2263:
519:
860:
1139:
690:
288:
1841:"Mine company says EPA is worsening Colorado water pollution", APNews, Associated Press, April 11, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
1419:
901:
299:
The EPA has taken responsibility for the incident, but refused to pay for any damages claims filed after the accident on grounds of
1525:
300:
1802:
2020:
417:
have occurred. Operating mines have been required to perform such measurement of water level since a fatal mine flood in 1895.
1629:
1259:
1122:
1200:
1102:
350:. The chemical processes involved in acid mine drainage are common around the world: where subsurface mining exposes metal
182:
596:
554:
in the days after the disaster, when he claimed 'nobody expected (the acid water backed up in the mine) to be that high.
502:
metals loading in the Animas River, which limited aquatic life, including trout populations downstream from Silverton."
203:
307:
declared the affected area a disaster zone. The spill affected waterways of municipalities in the states of Colorado,
1584:
1015:
170:
2223:
2198:
1322:
2046:
1949:"Post Gold King Mine Spill Investigation of Metal Stability in Water and Sediments of the Animas River Watershed"
1867:
Montoya, Teresa (September 2, 2017). "Yellow Water: Rupture and Return One Year after the Gold King Mine Spill".
1387:
465:
430:
1666:
1403:
658:
According to President Begaye, this is only 8% of the costs incurred by the Navajo Nation. According to Senator
2258:
2248:
2218:
1077:
303:, pending special authorization from Congress or re-filing of lawsuits in federal court. Governor of Colorado
1489:
1464:
1166:
79:
1548:
2193:
1809:"Five Things to Know About the Gold King Mine Spill in Colorado", The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.,
1719:
509:
Emergency tailing ponds constructed in response to the 2015 Gold King Mine Spill, pictured on August 7
2188:
2009:
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Gold-King-Mine-Spill-Report-01-22-16-Digital.pdf
550:
added: "Griswold's e-mail appears directly to contradict those findings and statements he made to
795:
505:
480:
by August 12; arriving on August 14, it was expected to pass through the lake within two weeks.
2233:
461:
220:
769:"EPA Causes Massive Spill of Mining Waste Water in Colorado, Turns Animas River Bright Orange"
2203:
2072:
1520:
1140:"Colorado now faults EPA for mine spill after decades of pushing away federal Superfund help"
721:
464:, the largest municipality affected by the disaster. By August 10, the waste had reached the
1960:
1692:
599:(FEMA) rejected a request by the Navajo Nation to appoint a disaster-recovery coordinator.
8:
629:
224:
71:
1964:
1981:
1948:
1892:
476:
unless the entire river becomes very acidic. The waste was initially expected to reach
433:
watershed, which drains into the Colorado river, showing the northern tributary of the
347:
248:
122:
2163:
1838:
1986:
1919:
1896:
1884:
1797:
1297:"Journalist Finds A Hometown 'River Of Lost Souls' After The Gold King Mine Disaster"
1058:
633:
569:
457:
304:
38:
725:
reported that the disaster is "devastating to the Navajo Nation." By August 12, the
1976:
1968:
1876:
1705:
1493:
1270:
791:"EPA Contractor Involved in Colorado Spill Identified as Environmental Restoration"
662:, the Navajo Nation could incur up to $ 335 million in costs related to the spill.
605:
562:
523:
351:
2168:
1912:"What the EPA was doing when it sent yellow sludge spilling into a Colorado creek"
1880:
1420:"'They're not going to get away with this': Anger mounts at EPA over mining spill"
1051:"What the EPA was doing when it sent yellow sludge spilling into a Colorado creek"
894:"'They're not going to get away with this': Anger mounts at EPA over mining spill"
1806:
1426:
1221:
1146:
1106:
1099:
865:
685:
592:
Animas River for one year, overruling Begaye's plan to reopen irrigation canals.
580:
28:
925:"EPA employee in charge of Gold King Mine knew of a blowout risk, e-mail shows"
719:
The impact on the Navajo Nation has been reported in various publications: The
573:
292:
2177:
1923:
1888:
1630:"EPA employee in charge of Gold King Mine knew of blowout risk, e-mail shows"
1062:
990:"One Year After A Toxic River Spill, No Clear Plan To Clean Up Western Mines"
727:
588:
442:
316:
101:
88:
2099:"Navajo Crops Drying Out as San Juan River Remains Closed After Toxic Spill"
1972:
1822:
2132:"EPA asks courts to toss Navajo Nation's lawsuit over Gold King Mine spill"
1990:
1776:
680:
434:
413:
Cement Creek, the torrent of water washed out the access road to the site.
284:
236:
232:
34:
2131:
1772:"Gold King mine spill: Navajo Nation farmers prohibit Animas river access"
1603:"EPA Knew of 'Blowout' Risk at Colorado Gold Mine on Animas River: Report"
1193:"The Gold King Mine: From An 1887 Claim, Private Profits And Social Costs"
358:
to water and air, this water must be carefully managed to prevent harm to
338:
Entrance to Gold King Mine from EPA site management web site. This is the
334:
2003:
Colorado Water Quality Control Division. (2016). “Gold King Mine spill.”
1340:"Environmental Agency Uncorks Its Own Toxic Water Spill at Colorado Mine"
972:"E.P.A. Treating Toxic Water From Abandoned Colorado Mine After Accident"
659:
537:
485:
477:
346:
Many abandoned mines throughout Colorado are known to have problems with
327:
1649:"EPA: Waste pressure evidently never checked before Colorado mine spill"
366:
In the 1990s, sections of the Animas had been nominated by the EPA as a
473:
469:
308:
1372:"Southwest states may face long-term risk from Colorado mine spillage"
821:"Silverton to seek federal cleanup help after Gold King Mine disaster"
2169:
Animas River below Silverton (USGS National Water Information System)
789:
Harder, Amy; Berzon, Alexandra; Forsyth, Jennifer (August 12, 2015).
367:
268:
241:
1825:"EPA’s quick-action Superfund plan receives flak from commenters",
1224:"Reclamation", Sunnyside Gold Corporation. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
897:
359:
252:
208:
1720:"Contamination in Animas River becomes 'Declaration of Emergency'"
1167:"The Gold King Mine and Mill in its heyday, long before the spill"
425:
1946:
861:"Animas mine disaster: Arsenic, cadmium, lead broke water limits"
264:
256:
2021:"Truck Crash Spills More Gold King Mine Waste Into Cement Creek"
355:
280:
41:
within 24 hours of the spill. The river turned yellow from the
1490:"River in Colorado Reopens as Toxic Plume Reaches Lake Powell"
1016:"EPA To Launch Treatment Plant For Gold King Mine Wastewater"
42:
1850:
Black, E. (2018). “Case Study of the Gold King Mine Spill.”
1123:"Residents demand health answers as mine spill fouls rivers"
1688:"Navajo Nation seeks assistance after Gold King Mine spill"
388:
339:
312:
276:
272:
260:
125:
release, approx. 3 million US gal (11,000 m)
1667:"EPA knew of blowout risk ahead of Colorado mine accident"
1646:
1100:
U.S. Geological Survey, Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
751:"How are they going to clean up that Colorado mine spill?"
1552:
1549:"Gold King Mine owner: 'I foresaw disaster' before spill"
1468:
1746:"Tribe warns residents not to use EPA forms after spill"
944:"EPA Says It Can't Pay Economic Damages From Mine Spill"
2159:
USGS Water Quality Data and Activities related to event
1356:"EPA: Pollution from mine spill much worse than feared"
2053:. Colorado Public Radio Staff and the Associated Press
2027:. Colorado Public Radio Staff and the Associated Press
143:
River closures (until about Aug 17 with ongoing tests)
2164:
Cement Creek (USGS National Water Information System)
1260:"Technical Evaluation of the Gold King Mine Incident"
788:
235:watershed. They caused the accident by breaching a
1465:"Pollution flowing faster than facts in EPA spill"
1829:, September 14, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
1404:"Damage to Navajo Nation water goes beyond money"
1388:"Navajo Nation feels brunt of Colorado mine leak"
2175:
2047:"EPA Finds Space to Store Gold King Mine Sludge"
1813:, September 7, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
1320:
887:
885:
883:
823:. ABC 7 Denver. August 25, 2015. Archived from
16:Environmental disaster near Silverton, Colorado
1682:
1680:
1647:Jesse Paul The Denver Post (August 26, 2015).
1267:Bureau of Reclamation Technical Service Center
859:Finley, Bruce; McGhee, Tom (August 10, 2015).
2244:Waste disposal incidents in the United States
2239:United States Environmental Protection Agency
1254:
1252:
1250:
572:declared a disaster, as did Navajo President
45:of dissolved iron in the escaped waste water.
2229:Environmental disasters in the United States
1248:
1246:
1244:
1242:
1240:
1238:
1236:
1234:
1232:
1230:
880:
858:
145:Ongoing water supply & irrigation issues
2073:"Water flowing in Fruitland - Navajo Times"
2005:Department of Public Health and Environment
1677:
1597:
1595:
1593:
1540:
1456:
1440:
1438:
1627:
922:
27:
1980:
1446:"Gold mine's toxic plume extends to Utah"
1227:
854:
852:
850:
848:
846:
844:
842:
766:
691:Environmental racism in the United States
1738:
1590:
1546:
1462:
1435:
1075:
815:
813:
639:
504:
424:
333:
2214:2015 controversies in the United States
2209:August 2015 events in the United States
1866:
1609:. The Associated Press. August 22, 2015
941:
460:; the next day, it reached the city of
420:
2176:
1953:Environmental Science & Technology
1909:
1769:
1508:
1048:
967:
965:
839:
283:into Cement Creek, a tributary of the
223:that began at the Gold King Mine near
189:
2129:
2125:
2123:
2121:
2119:
1942:
1940:
1547:Castillo, Mariano (August 14, 2015).
1463:Castillo, Mariano (August 10, 2015).
1323:"Animas River reopens for recreation"
1161:
1159:
1117:
1115:
1078:"EPA's gross negligence at Gold King"
1044:
1042:
1040:
1038:
1036:
810:
530:
217:2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill
22:2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill
2254:Water pollution in the United States
2130:Romeo, Jonathan (November 4, 2018).
1321:Michael Martinez (August 14, 2015).
1013:
987:
891:
513:
382:
263:, and other toxic elements, such as
2184:2015 disasters in the United States
2007:. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from
1854:. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from
1770:Laylin, Tafline (August 26, 2015).
1413:
1349:
1333:
962:
892:Kolb, Joseph J. (August 10, 2015).
597:Federal Emergency Management Agency
161:Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah
13:
2269:Obama administration controversies
2116:
2103:indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com
1937:
1910:Kaplan, Sarah (October 25, 2021).
1185:
1156:
1112:
1076:Driessen, Paul (August 21, 2015).
1033:
744:
710:(3.4 m) of water on the plug.
622:
613:
579:On August 11, New Mexico Governor
14:
2280:
2264:Dam failures in the United States
2152:
1524:. August 12, 2015. Archived from
1049:Kaplan, Sarah (August 10, 2015).
942:Elliott, Dan (January 13, 2017).
767:Schlanger, Zoë (August 7, 2015).
374:
255:, including heavy metals such as
1628:Jesse Paul (February 11, 2016).
1294:
1014:Hood, Grace (October 15, 2015).
923:Jesse Paul (February 11, 2016).
644:
188:
181:
2091:
2065:
2039:
2013:
1997:
1903:
1860:
1844:
1832:
1816:
1791:
1763:
1712:
1659:
1640:
1621:
1578:
1566:
1482:
1397:
1381:
1365:
1314:
1288:
1215:
1133:
1092:
1069:
1007:
981:
713:
703:
568:On August 8, Colorado Governor
491:
456:By August 7, the waste reached
229:Environmental Protection Agency
134:Environmental Protection Agency
988:Hood, Grace (August 4, 2016).
935:
916:
782:
760:
1:
1881:10.1080/19428200.2017.1390724
1852:North Dakota State University
1516:"Gold King Mine spill update"
755:The Christian Science Monitor
738:
322:
610:Animas" since October 2015.
7:
674:
665:
632:, after a similar plant in
342:known as Gold King 7 Level.
10:
2285:
1750:USA Today (online edition)
535:On February 11, 2016, the
403:
153:Animas and San Juan rivers
1805:October 24, 2018, at the
165:
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139:
129:
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74:, Colorado, United States
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1425:August 10, 2015, at the
1145:August 15, 2015, at the
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207:Spill site shown within
54:August 5, 2015
2224:Disasters in New Mexico
2199:2015 in the environment
1973:10.1021/acs.est.6b03092
1105:August 4, 2019, at the
796:The Wall Street Journal
1109:; accessed 2015-08-12.
950:. The Associated Press
510:
437:
343:
221:environmental disaster
102:37.89444°N 107.63833°W
37:between Silverton and
2259:Tailings dam failures
2249:2015 mining disasters
2219:Disasters in Colorado
2051:Colorado Public Radio
2025:Colorado Public Radio
1521:Lake Powell Chronicle
1301:Colorado Public Radio
1197:Colorado Public Radio
1080:. New Mexico Politics
1020:Colorado Public Radio
722:Portland Press Herald
640:Monetary compensation
508:
428:
387:The Gold King Mine's
337:
1693:Santa Fe New Mexican
1203:on December 14, 2018
827:on September 6, 2015
421:Environmental impact
204:class=notpageimage|
107:37.89444; -107.63833
1965:2016EnST...5011539R
1959:(21): 11539–11548.
1276:on January 16, 2016
1055:The Washington Post
225:Silverton, Colorado
98: /
23:
2194:2015 in New Mexico
1827:The Durango Herald
1673:. August 22, 2015.
904:on August 10, 2015
531:Immediate response
511:
438:
348:acid mine drainage
344:
301:sovereign immunity
150:Waterways affected
21:
2079:. August 28, 2015
1752:, August 13, 2015
1696:. October 3, 2015
1496:. August 14, 2015
1378:, August 12, 2015
1362:, August 10, 2015
978:, August 11, 2015
757:, August 13, 2015
636:ran out of room.
570:John Hickenlooper
514:Government action
458:Aztec, New Mexico
383:Prior reclamation
315:, as well as the
305:John Hickenlooper
177:
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581:Susana Martinez
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2141:December 10,
2139:. Retrieved
2135:
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2102:
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2077:Navajo Times
2076:
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2057:December 31,
2055:. Retrieved
2050:
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2031:December 31,
2029:. Retrieved
2024:
2015:
2004:
1999:
1956:
1952:
1927:. Retrieved
1915:
1905:
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1839:Elliott, Dan
1834:
1826:
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1781:. Retrieved
1777:The Guardian
1775:
1765:
1754:, retrieved
1749:
1740:
1728:. Retrieved
1724:KRQE News 13
1723:
1714:
1704:– via
1698:. Retrieved
1691:
1671:PBS NewsHour
1670:
1661:
1652:
1642:
1633:
1623:
1611:. Retrieved
1606:
1580:
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1556:. Retrieved
1542:
1530:. Retrieved
1526:the original
1519:
1510:
1498:. Retrieved
1484:
1472:. Retrieved
1458:
1449:
1430:
1429:, Fox News,
1415:
1407:
1399:
1391:
1383:
1376:Press Herald
1375:
1367:
1359:
1351:
1343:
1335:
1326:
1316:
1304:. Retrieved
1300:
1290:
1278:. Retrieved
1271:the original
1266:
1217:
1207:December 10,
1205:. Retrieved
1201:the original
1196:
1187:
1177:December 10,
1175:. Retrieved
1170:
1151:Star Tribune
1150:
1135:
1126:
1094:
1082:. Retrieved
1071:
1054:
1023:. Retrieved
1019:
1009:
999:December 16,
997:. Retrieved
993:
983:
975:
952:. Retrieved
947:
937:
928:
918:
906:. Retrieved
902:the original
870:. Retrieved
864:
831:September 5,
829:. Retrieved
825:the original
800:. Retrieved
794:
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772:. Retrieved
762:
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681:Tailings dam
669:
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492:Heavy metals
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435:Animas River
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365:
345:
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285:Animas River
246:
237:tailings dam
233:Animas River
216:
214:
130:Participants
35:Animas River
18:
2136:The Journal
1306:October 12,
954:January 27,
660:John McCain
538:Denver Post
478:Lake Powell
328:Gold mining
171:EPA updates
123:waste water
121:Accidental
105: /
93:107°38′18″W
80:Coordinates
2178:Categories
1783:August 26,
1756:August 15,
1730:August 12,
1700:October 4,
1613:August 28,
1558:August 21,
1532:August 12,
1500:August 18,
1474:August 10,
1127:Yahoo News
1084:August 21,
1025:January 4,
908:August 10,
872:August 18,
802:August 12,
774:August 10,
739:References
518:Through a
470:New Mexico
462:Farmington
323:Background
309:New Mexico
90:37°53′40″N
58:2015-08-05
1929:August 7,
1924:0190-8286
1897:169309809
1889:1942-8200
1811:Bloomberg
1799:Bloomberg
1450:USA TODAY
1360:USA Today
1171:Denverite
1063:0190-8286
630:Silverton
522:request,
474:insoluble
368:Superfund
269:beryllium
242:Superfund
72:Silverton
43:oxidation
1991:27704799
1803:Archived
1607:NBC News
1585:Lang, S.
1573:Lang, S.
1423:Archived
1344:NY Times
1143:Archived
1103:Archived
976:NY Times
898:Fox News
675:See also
666:Lawsuits
360:riparian
354:such as
253:tailings
209:Colorado
66:Location
1982:5568564
1961:Bibcode
1392:NY Post
994:NPR.org
634:Durango
546:" The
404:Blowout
265:arsenic
257:cadmium
244:money.
227:, when
219:was an
166:Website
140:Outcome
56: (
39:Durango
2108:May 7,
2083:May 7,
1989:
1979:
1922:
1895:
1887:
1280:May 5,
1061:
356:pyrite
311:, and
281:copper
1893:S2CID
1274:(PDF)
1263:(PDF)
697:Notes
542:well.
486:plume
389:adits
118:Cause
2143:2018
2110:2016
2085:2016
2059:2022
2033:2022
1987:PMID
1931:2023
1920:ISSN
1885:ISSN
1785:2015
1758:2015
1732:2015
1702:2015
1615:2015
1560:2015
1534:2015
1502:2015
1476:2015
1308:2021
1282:2016
1209:2018
1179:2018
1086:2015
1059:ISSN
1027:2018
1001:2017
956:2017
910:2015
874:2015
833:2015
804:2015
776:2015
589:form
548:Post
520:FOIA
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