No health risks to wildlife after Colorado mine spill

Mustard-colored wastewater laced with heavy metals continues to drain into a river from an abandoned mine in southwestern Colorado at a rate of about 550 gallons per minute, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which caused the spill.

But the levels are dropping as the plume drifts farther down the river and is diluted.

More public meetings are expected as lab tests on water samples reveal more about the contaminants, including whether significant levels of metals such as arsenic and mercury made it into the river. “But it’s not just a matter of toxicity of the chemicals, it’s a matter of exposure”.

“If there’s any safety issues at all, we’re going to have to cancel trips, and trips we had planned for next week-one in particular has been in the planning for eight months”, he said.

Another EPA regional administrator, Jared Blumenfeld, said the plume begin flowing through the Navajo Nation on Saturday.

Officials said they believe the spill carried heavy metals, mainly iron, zinc and copper, from the mine into a creek that feeds into the Animas River.

“If they tell me if you put your hand in the river, the hand’s not going to fall off, but don’t drink the doggone stuff”, said Don Cooper, San Juan County’s emergency manager.

In San Juan County, restrictions are still in effect along the Animas River, said County Executive Officer Kim Carpenter. There also was water available for livestock. “On the other side of it, though, as soon as we understood the significance of release, we have ramped up accordingly and have really done the outreach to states, to tribes, to the local governments, to try to be as transparent with information, to get information out as quickly as we can”.

“In this day and age, everyone wants the quick fix, but these things take time”, said Jason Willis, an environmental engineer who works with Trout Unlimited in Colorado. Spokesperson Joe Lewandowski said, “We’ll see if those fish survive”.

He qualified the statement a moment later, saying, “It’s one option that can be considered”. Potentially impacted water systems have been notified by State officials and precautions are in place to ensure drinking water in homes is protected.

Such a designation would establish the area as an abandoned hazardous waste site and unlock federal funds to implement a comprehensive cleanup plan.

“When the event happened Wednesday, the people on the ground misinterpreted, misread the severity of the impact”, said McGrath.

The EPA also asked farmers to shut off irrigation from the river to avoid contamination.

Walt Baker, Director of the Utah Division of Water Quality, said people need to be careful.

The EPA warned people to stay out of the river and to keep domestic animals from drinking from it. Local officials declared stretches of the river off-limits in Colorado and New Mexico.

“This is a little bit of a slower time of the year, but we’re still getting a lot of calls about boaters that are anxious about whether it’s even safe to get on the river”, he said.