They've done a lot of very good things here in CO & all over the country, as well. This is def a major screw-up, but it pales in comparison to the rest of it.
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Did The EPA Intentionally Poison Animas River To Secure SuperFund Money?
- Thread starter idiit
- Start date
They've done a lot of very good things here in CO & all over the country, as well. This is def a major screw-up, but it pales in comparison to the rest of it.
suddenly it all makes sense...
second paragraph from wikipedia's animas river page..
so basically, as soon as they hook up the water, they take a big old toxic crap in it.
heinous beyond grief
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animas_River
and you know, this happens to them, and who even knows? it's like someone just wiped shit on their face and nobody reacted. i mean, sure, i heard something about navajo then read further and saw ute mentioned, but saw no connection between the spill and the date of this anywhere in the media...... can you say understand holy heinous evil fucked over batman?
does this happen routinely at the end of presidential terms? or are we special right now, for some reason?
i just saw the news that they've got the go ahead for the canyon mine.. uranium mining upstream from havasupai, which is a unique treasure.. like a tropical paradise at the bottom of the grand canyon... the havasupai are like a tiny nation .. wikipedia says 650 of them.. who does that? who does that?
i don't even like to talk about this place in order to keep the traffic down..
second paragraph from wikipedia's animas river page..
so basically, as soon as they hook up the water, they take a big old toxic crap in it.
heinous beyond grief
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animas_River
and you know, this happens to them, and who even knows? it's like someone just wiped shit on their face and nobody reacted. i mean, sure, i heard something about navajo then read further and saw ute mentioned, but saw no connection between the spill and the date of this anywhere in the media...... can you say understand holy heinous evil fucked over batman?
does this happen routinely at the end of presidential terms? or are we special right now, for some reason?
i just saw the news that they've got the go ahead for the canyon mine.. uranium mining upstream from havasupai, which is a unique treasure.. like a tropical paradise at the bottom of the grand canyon... the havasupai are like a tiny nation .. wikipedia says 650 of them.. who does that? who does that?
i don't even like to talk about this place in order to keep the traffic down..
Attachments
And...ANOTHER conspiracy theory is put out. Always plenty of fodder, isn't there?
As a long time environmentalist, I was absolutely horrified that the EPA had done this. As I am sure the vast, vast majority of hard working people there were too. As I'm sure most Americans were too.
No one who works for the EPA has this huge greed thing going that would be needed for something this monumental and environmentally damaging to be a planned event. But I do agree with those that say the earth is already beyond the point of sustaining irreparable damage and the best we can do now is to put leaders in place that will wisely guide us.
Conspiracy distractions are the last thing needed. What good are they? What is the end goal? They just take attention from the problem.
I think this was just a monumental fuck-up by a small group of idiots. I even saw one expert say that the screw-up happened because they failed to look at, and test for, the huge volume of water that would be leaked in their procedure. Just a fuck-up, with monumental consequences. But maybe they actually learned what NOT to do when dealing with a problem like that next time.
How about using all that brainpower being used toward developing these crazed conspiracy theories instead toward actually trying to help toward the problems being complained about? What a novel idea.
As a long time environmentalist, I was absolutely horrified that the EPA had done this. As I am sure the vast, vast majority of hard working people there were too. As I'm sure most Americans were too.
No one who works for the EPA has this huge greed thing going that would be needed for something this monumental and environmentally damaging to be a planned event. But I do agree with those that say the earth is already beyond the point of sustaining irreparable damage and the best we can do now is to put leaders in place that will wisely guide us.
Conspiracy distractions are the last thing needed. What good are they? What is the end goal? They just take attention from the problem.
I think this was just a monumental fuck-up by a small group of idiots. I even saw one expert say that the screw-up happened because they failed to look at, and test for, the huge volume of water that would be leaked in their procedure. Just a fuck-up, with monumental consequences. But maybe they actually learned what NOT to do when dealing with a problem like that next time.
How about using all that brainpower being used toward developing these crazed conspiracy theories instead toward actually trying to help toward the problems being complained about? What a novel idea.
Well I didn't mean to suggest they always do it. I'm just saying here we have the EPA polluting, The Deep Water Horizon incident was due to screw ups by the The Minerals Management Service (Now known as the Bureau of Ocean Energy). 9-11 happened because the TSA wasn't what it should have been. Bad foods and drugs slip thru the cracks because the FDA is woefully under staffed and under funded. The CIA let us down on the "slam dunk" of WMD in Iraq and the list goes on but I think you can see my point. There is an established pattern of the institutions meant to protect us, failing miserably.
the pic has some of that contrast processing that makes things glow but as you can see, it's like natural hottubs.. a special place with profound beauty.. i doubt you'll find any visitor reports saying otherwise 
so the whole "calculated, coordinated move to fuck up indigenous autonomy" thing went over your head then..
..guess in your years of environmental advocacy you've avoided meeting any indigenous people or acknowledging any of the shit they have to eat.
dude.. we wasted one "conspiracy theory" to reveal a much more heinous reality. aren't you ever ashamed of trying to defend the indefensible? "woopsie?" no, they shafted them. a hot, hard shaft of shit mate.
so the whole "calculated, coordinated move to fuck up indigenous autonomy" thing went over your head then..
..guess in your years of environmental advocacy you've avoided meeting any indigenous people or acknowledging any of the shit they have to eat.
dude.. we wasted one "conspiracy theory" to reveal a much more heinous reality. aren't you ever ashamed of trying to defend the indefensible? "woopsie?" no, they shafted them. a hot, hard shaft of shit mate.
the pic has some of that contrast processing that makes things glow but as you can see, it's like natural hottubs.. a special place with profound beauty.. i doubt you'll find any visitor reports saying otherwise
so the whole "calculated, coordinated move to fuck up indigenous autonomy" thing went over your head then..
..guess in your years of environmental advocacy you've avoided meeting any indigenous people or acknowledging any of the shit they have to eat.
dude.. we wasted one "conspiracy theory" to reveal a much more heinous reality. aren't you ever ashamed of trying to defend the indefensible? "woopsie?" no, they shafted them. a hot, hard shaft of shit mate.
Don't get all paranoid, OK? If you learn the difference between correlation & causation you'll be able to avoid all kinds of conspiracy theory traps. Yeh, sure, they can be entertaining. A lot of fiction is.
Dddaver draws the right conclusion based on the evidence available.
how do my perceptions enter into this?
after fifteen years, they delivered the water. suddenly, it's shit upon. fact.
blather if you like, they catch the shit. patagonia catches shit. havasupai catches shit. the people who catch the shit know what's happening. you can call it any dumb shit you like, you go ahead, thank you for your concern.
after fifteen years, they delivered the water. suddenly, it's shit upon. fact.
blather if you like, they catch the shit. patagonia catches shit. havasupai catches shit. the people who catch the shit know what's happening. you can call it any dumb shit you like, you go ahead, thank you for your concern.
Yep, a travesty for sure. Live a few hundred miles from it, but still, it's impactful.
EPA screwed up royally...no conspiracy, only stupidity.
Even though the Animas and San Juan Rivers are running clear...heavy metals seep below the river beds eventually finding themselves in the water table. It'll likely be a 100 yr. old problem. Anytime movement in the water, be it from spring run off to sloshing around in the river(s), heavy metals will be stirred up and continue to sift downstream.
Bad for the agricultural areas, the Navajos dependent on water (precious commodity) even though they say "it's safe" (by whose standards) as long as you purge your water systems/acequias (water trough/ditches coming from mountains or feeder streams) for 12 hrs. Wells, too.
I don't believe it.
Mercury, lead do not dissipate easily.
EPA screwed up royally...no conspiracy, only stupidity.
Even though the Animas and San Juan Rivers are running clear...heavy metals seep below the river beds eventually finding themselves in the water table. It'll likely be a 100 yr. old problem. Anytime movement in the water, be it from spring run off to sloshing around in the river(s), heavy metals will be stirred up and continue to sift downstream.
Bad for the agricultural areas, the Navajos dependent on water (precious commodity) even though they say "it's safe" (by whose standards) as long as you purge your water systems/acequias (water trough/ditches coming from mountains or feeder streams) for 12 hrs. Wells, too.
I don't believe it.
Mercury, lead do not dissipate easily.
I mean the irony of the EPA dumping millions of gallons of extremely toxic waste into a vibrant river is just too glaring.
The deplorable thing....NO ONE did anything, report it for 24 hrs.!
Fri August 14, 2015
(CNN)—"The "abandoned" mine where the EPA unintentionally caused the spill of more than 3 million gallons of wastewater is not exactly abandoned.
For starters, the Gold King Mine has an owner, and it is not as barren inside as it is made out to be.
As tempers flared over the plume that exposed communities in three states to harmful metals as it flowed downstream, the criticism has been mostly targeted the EPA.
One week has passed since the August 5 spill, and Todd Hennis, the owner of the Gold King Mine in Colorado, has mostly been silent.
It was his mine that discharged the wastewater while the EPA was working on it, so what's he going to do about it?
He denies any wrongdoing or negligence that contributed to last week's spill.
According to Hennis, he has tried to do something about the discharge from his and other area mines for years.
"I've been predicting for the last 14 years that the situation would continue getting worse and worse," Hennis told CNN on Thursday. "I foresaw a disaster, and that has been borne out."
The spill -- which temporarily turned the Animas River a shade of yellow-orange -- will not just set up criticism of the EPA, but add fuel to an old fight between mine owners.
Hennis, the president of Boulder-based San Juan Corp., has for years been at odds with Kinross Gold, a Canada-based multinational mining giant.
Hennis accuses Kinross of using its deep pockets and influence to take steps to reduce its liability for treating polluted water while passing the risks to other nearby mines, including Gold King.
The mining ecosystem
It is a Kinross-owned mine -- Sunnyside Mine -- that Hennis blames for the accumulation of wastewater that spilled.
In the mid-1990s, Kinross got permission to bulkhead, or plug, a segment of the Sunnyside Mine called the American Tunnel.
The project was approved to reduce pollution, but Hennis claims that the actual effect was that it pushed wastewater into other mines, including his.
Before the American tunnel was plugged, the Gold King Mine discharged 7 gallons of water a minute, and didn't pose a health risk, Hennis said. After the project at the Sunnyside Mine, the discharge from the Gold King Mine discharge had grown to 250 gallons of water a minute, he said.
"All of these discharges were minimal or non-existent until Sunnyside," Hennis said.
A year ago, the EPA decided to investigate Gold King to see where the increased in water was coming from. According to Hennis, the EPA ran out of time to complete the work, and elected to seal the mine and return in 2015.
Last week, the EPA crew returned, and when the contractors began removing the backfill to restart their investigation, the pressure was too much and the water spilled, Hennis said.
The accumulated wastewater, he claims, came from the Kinross-owned mine, via drill holes and natural fractures in the ground.
Kinross roundly denied the allegations and said it's mine had nothing to do with the spill.
"Sunnyside mine workings have no physical connection to the Gold King and such a connection never existed," said Kevin Roach, director of reclamation operations at Sunnyside. "Sunnyside is not the cause of the water buildup at Gold King."
Sunnyside Mine has not operated since 1991, and since then, Kinross has met all of the environmental requirements, he said.
"As the EPA has taken responsibility for the discharge it is unfortunate that Mr. Hennis, whose company owns the Gold King mine, is trying to deflect responsibility from what has clearly been the location of the incident, which is Gold King mine," Roach said.
Elevated discharge continues
One week after the spill, the Gold King Mine continues to discharge water at an elevated rate.
As of Wednesday, the polluted water was flowing from the mine at a rate of 610 gallons per minute, as measured by the U.S. Geological Survey.
"It's not over by a long shot," Hennis said.
The difference now is that the EPA has had time to build pools to collect the discharge and is treating it.
Valuable mine
Despite its age, the Gold Creek Mine has not been untouched for decades, as some reports suggest.
During the 1990s, the now-defunct Gold King Mine Corp. completed $10 million in exploration, Hennis said, including 400,000 ounces of gold and 4 million ounces of silver.
The mine also has large deposits of tellurium, which is used in high-tech alloys, he said.
Hennis' company took ownership of the Gold King Mine when the previous owners were foreclosed on, and Hennis himself has not done any work on the mine outside of what the EPA has requested.
His goal with owning the mine, he said, is to find a buyer."
The deplorable thing....NO ONE did anything, report it for 24 hrs.!
Fri August 14, 2015
(CNN)—"The "abandoned" mine where the EPA unintentionally caused the spill of more than 3 million gallons of wastewater is not exactly abandoned.
For starters, the Gold King Mine has an owner, and it is not as barren inside as it is made out to be.
As tempers flared over the plume that exposed communities in three states to harmful metals as it flowed downstream, the criticism has been mostly targeted the EPA.
One week has passed since the August 5 spill, and Todd Hennis, the owner of the Gold King Mine in Colorado, has mostly been silent.
It was his mine that discharged the wastewater while the EPA was working on it, so what's he going to do about it?
He denies any wrongdoing or negligence that contributed to last week's spill.
According to Hennis, he has tried to do something about the discharge from his and other area mines for years.
"I've been predicting for the last 14 years that the situation would continue getting worse and worse," Hennis told CNN on Thursday. "I foresaw a disaster, and that has been borne out."
The spill -- which temporarily turned the Animas River a shade of yellow-orange -- will not just set up criticism of the EPA, but add fuel to an old fight between mine owners.
Hennis, the president of Boulder-based San Juan Corp., has for years been at odds with Kinross Gold, a Canada-based multinational mining giant.
Hennis accuses Kinross of using its deep pockets and influence to take steps to reduce its liability for treating polluted water while passing the risks to other nearby mines, including Gold King.
The mining ecosystem
It is a Kinross-owned mine -- Sunnyside Mine -- that Hennis blames for the accumulation of wastewater that spilled.
In the mid-1990s, Kinross got permission to bulkhead, or plug, a segment of the Sunnyside Mine called the American Tunnel.
The project was approved to reduce pollution, but Hennis claims that the actual effect was that it pushed wastewater into other mines, including his.
Before the American tunnel was plugged, the Gold King Mine discharged 7 gallons of water a minute, and didn't pose a health risk, Hennis said. After the project at the Sunnyside Mine, the discharge from the Gold King Mine discharge had grown to 250 gallons of water a minute, he said.
"All of these discharges were minimal or non-existent until Sunnyside," Hennis said.
A year ago, the EPA decided to investigate Gold King to see where the increased in water was coming from. According to Hennis, the EPA ran out of time to complete the work, and elected to seal the mine and return in 2015.
Last week, the EPA crew returned, and when the contractors began removing the backfill to restart their investigation, the pressure was too much and the water spilled, Hennis said.
The accumulated wastewater, he claims, came from the Kinross-owned mine, via drill holes and natural fractures in the ground.
Kinross roundly denied the allegations and said it's mine had nothing to do with the spill.
"Sunnyside mine workings have no physical connection to the Gold King and such a connection never existed," said Kevin Roach, director of reclamation operations at Sunnyside. "Sunnyside is not the cause of the water buildup at Gold King."
Sunnyside Mine has not operated since 1991, and since then, Kinross has met all of the environmental requirements, he said.
"As the EPA has taken responsibility for the discharge it is unfortunate that Mr. Hennis, whose company owns the Gold King mine, is trying to deflect responsibility from what has clearly been the location of the incident, which is Gold King mine," Roach said.
Elevated discharge continues
One week after the spill, the Gold King Mine continues to discharge water at an elevated rate.
As of Wednesday, the polluted water was flowing from the mine at a rate of 610 gallons per minute, as measured by the U.S. Geological Survey.
"It's not over by a long shot," Hennis said.
The difference now is that the EPA has had time to build pools to collect the discharge and is treating it.
Valuable mine
Despite its age, the Gold Creek Mine has not been untouched for decades, as some reports suggest.
During the 1990s, the now-defunct Gold King Mine Corp. completed $10 million in exploration, Hennis said, including 400,000 ounces of gold and 4 million ounces of silver.
The mine also has large deposits of tellurium, which is used in high-tech alloys, he said.
Hennis' company took ownership of the Gold King Mine when the previous owners were foreclosed on, and Hennis himself has not done any work on the mine outside of what the EPA has requested.
His goal with owning the mine, he said, is to find a buyer."
what do you reckon then.. navajos and utes.. do you have some kinda cute euphemism you'd prefer to use instead?
EPA chief on Animas River: Sediment will be agency's long-term responsibility
EPA chief on Animas River: Sediment will be agency's long-term responsibility
Updated: 08/13/2015 6:45 PM | Created: 08/13/2015 9:29 AM
By: Elizabeth Reed, KOB.com and Chris Ramirez, KOB Eyewitness News 4
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy spoke in Farmington Thursday about the conditions of the Animas River following the Gold King Mine waste spill last week.
McCarthy announced Thursday that $500,000 has been issued to aid the immediate need for water for irrigation and livestock in the Four Corners.
At the press conference, McCarthy said the EPA is working with the state and Navajo Nation to make sure farmers and other residents are getting those resources.
The EPA has also set up a hotline for the public to call with questions about the Animas River: 1-844-607-9700. U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan said there are representatives who speak English, Spanish and Navajo answering calls.
McCarthy also discussed water quality of the Animas River, saying the agency continues to see good news in terms of metal levels, but that sediment testing is ongoing.
"The EPA is in it for the long haul as we look at sediment challenges," McCarthy said.
LA PLATA CO. TESTS SEDIMENT
La Plata County officials said EPA technicians took 19 sediment samples Tuesday and had shipped them all by Wednesday. Results from those samples are expected by Sunday, according to La Plata County.
Wednesday evening, La Plata County officials began inspecting and flushing select irrigation ditches. This is a step toward opening irrigation for farmers and ranchers who depend on Animas River water for their crops and livestock. In the North Animas Valley, the Reid Ditch and West Animas Ditch were flushed Wednesday and work is currently being done on additional ditches south of Durango.
"The two ditches north of Durango had very little sediment, but after opening the head gates for flushing, those ditches produced a slight, temporary change in color of the Animas River, as we expected, that should arrive in Durango City limits mid-day today," said Butch Knowlton, Office of Emergency Management Director in La Plata County.
Operators of ditches that take water from the Animas River are asked to call the Call Center at 970-385-8700, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and provide names and phone numbers so officials can coordinate opening of the river head gates. Individual water users are on the ditches and canals are asked to keep their gates closed until notified.
Wednesday, the city of Farmington announced all metal levels except lead had returned to acceptable drinking water standards in the Animas River. Allowable lead content is 15 micrograms per liter, and lead levels were at 15.4 micrograms per liter Monday.
CONTRACTOR'S ROLE QUESTIONED
McCarthy was also questioned about the contractor who caused the Gold King Mine spill. The Wall Street Journal identified the contractor as Environmental Restoration LLC, a Missouri-based company.
McCarthy reiterated that the EPA was taking full responsibility for the incident and said the contractor was working under the direction of the agency and the Colorado Bureau of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. She said the EPA was reviewing what led to the incident and would also seek an independent review.
In regards to the thousands of abandoned mines across southern Colorado and New Mexico, McCarthy told reporters the issue needs to be looked at on a larger scale, but that it would take a long-term conversation that would also need congressional input.
"The 3 million gallons (in the Gold King Mine) weren't the EPA's. We need to make sure there isn't another spill waiting to happen," she said.
The EPA has put their investigations into other mines on hiatus while reviewing the Animas River spill.
CONGRESSMAN BEN RAY LUJAN TALKS EFFECTS IN NM
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-NM, represents Farmington and the communities around it in Congress, and stood side-by-side with EPA administrator Gina McCarthy Thursday.
"There is a very real frustration in our community right now," Lujan said. "It started because there was a lack of communication up in Colorado."
People are upset it took the EPA's top boss nine days to finally make it to New Mexico and that the long-term effects of the spill still aren't known.
"There can always be more done," Lujan said.
There's an expectation in the Four Corners that Lujan shouldn't let the EPA off easily, and that he closely monitors every step of the cleanup efforts.
"I'm communicating to the Energy Committee and to the Commerce and Resource Leadership that we need immediate oversight hearings in this area," Lujan said. "We're communicating to the White House and to the president to make sure have support from the administration to release resources and fully account for what's happened on the ground."
Since the EPA acts as the chief regulators on the environment, residents expect Congress to regulate the EPA.
"There has to be full accountability with the EPA on this. The EPA administrator was clear - not only today - but has been in the last few days, that the EPA takes full responsibility. But there is also oversight responsibility by the Congress," Lujan said.
The color in the Animas River in Farmington has returned to normal, but contaminated sediment remains. The long-term effects of the remaining sediment is unknown.
To those unfamiliar with the SW USA (CO, NM, AZ, UT), you have no idea how impactful this spillage has caused. Water is the 'life blood' of all here in the arid lands, fed by waters we assumed pristine, run off for agriculture, wells for drinking, ranching, recreation. The Animas & San Juan Rivers travel the route the Colorado River and one to Lake Powell. Sediment oozed into Lake Powell over the weekend. This is not a quick fix, folks.
Such blatant actions, no back up plan of spilling 3 MILLION gallons of toxic waste and not reporting, seeking assistance immediately is unconscionable. Yet, it does happen...world wide.
No, it's not for a Hollywood movie. (Geeze, how insensitive!)Yes, it's reminiscent of other toxic river accidents, you are correct.
The impact, while the water appears clean....well, I don't trust the EPA, FEMA or other Federal agencies help. Remember Katrina, Rita, Sandy hurricanes? Katrina was 10 yrs. ago...forever changing New Orleans.
While this is only a river serving a sparse population, it is an important tributary to the peoples of the SW region, drinking water if nothing else. It will continue to be a challenge to clean up and monitor crops, cattle, etc.
EPA chief on Animas River: Sediment will be agency's long-term responsibility
Updated: 08/13/2015 6:45 PM | Created: 08/13/2015 9:29 AM
By: Elizabeth Reed, KOB.com and Chris Ramirez, KOB Eyewitness News 4
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy spoke in Farmington Thursday about the conditions of the Animas River following the Gold King Mine waste spill last week.
McCarthy announced Thursday that $500,000 has been issued to aid the immediate need for water for irrigation and livestock in the Four Corners.
At the press conference, McCarthy said the EPA is working with the state and Navajo Nation to make sure farmers and other residents are getting those resources.
The EPA has also set up a hotline for the public to call with questions about the Animas River: 1-844-607-9700. U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan said there are representatives who speak English, Spanish and Navajo answering calls.
McCarthy also discussed water quality of the Animas River, saying the agency continues to see good news in terms of metal levels, but that sediment testing is ongoing.
"The EPA is in it for the long haul as we look at sediment challenges," McCarthy said.
LA PLATA CO. TESTS SEDIMENT
La Plata County officials said EPA technicians took 19 sediment samples Tuesday and had shipped them all by Wednesday. Results from those samples are expected by Sunday, according to La Plata County.
Wednesday evening, La Plata County officials began inspecting and flushing select irrigation ditches. This is a step toward opening irrigation for farmers and ranchers who depend on Animas River water for their crops and livestock. In the North Animas Valley, the Reid Ditch and West Animas Ditch were flushed Wednesday and work is currently being done on additional ditches south of Durango.
"The two ditches north of Durango had very little sediment, but after opening the head gates for flushing, those ditches produced a slight, temporary change in color of the Animas River, as we expected, that should arrive in Durango City limits mid-day today," said Butch Knowlton, Office of Emergency Management Director in La Plata County.
Operators of ditches that take water from the Animas River are asked to call the Call Center at 970-385-8700, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and provide names and phone numbers so officials can coordinate opening of the river head gates. Individual water users are on the ditches and canals are asked to keep their gates closed until notified.
Wednesday, the city of Farmington announced all metal levels except lead had returned to acceptable drinking water standards in the Animas River. Allowable lead content is 15 micrograms per liter, and lead levels were at 15.4 micrograms per liter Monday.
CONTRACTOR'S ROLE QUESTIONED
McCarthy was also questioned about the contractor who caused the Gold King Mine spill. The Wall Street Journal identified the contractor as Environmental Restoration LLC, a Missouri-based company.
McCarthy reiterated that the EPA was taking full responsibility for the incident and said the contractor was working under the direction of the agency and the Colorado Bureau of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. She said the EPA was reviewing what led to the incident and would also seek an independent review.
In regards to the thousands of abandoned mines across southern Colorado and New Mexico, McCarthy told reporters the issue needs to be looked at on a larger scale, but that it would take a long-term conversation that would also need congressional input.
"The 3 million gallons (in the Gold King Mine) weren't the EPA's. We need to make sure there isn't another spill waiting to happen," she said.
The EPA has put their investigations into other mines on hiatus while reviewing the Animas River spill.
CONGRESSMAN BEN RAY LUJAN TALKS EFFECTS IN NM
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-NM, represents Farmington and the communities around it in Congress, and stood side-by-side with EPA administrator Gina McCarthy Thursday.
"There is a very real frustration in our community right now," Lujan said. "It started because there was a lack of communication up in Colorado."
People are upset it took the EPA's top boss nine days to finally make it to New Mexico and that the long-term effects of the spill still aren't known.
"There can always be more done," Lujan said.
There's an expectation in the Four Corners that Lujan shouldn't let the EPA off easily, and that he closely monitors every step of the cleanup efforts.
"I'm communicating to the Energy Committee and to the Commerce and Resource Leadership that we need immediate oversight hearings in this area," Lujan said. "We're communicating to the White House and to the president to make sure have support from the administration to release resources and fully account for what's happened on the ground."
Since the EPA acts as the chief regulators on the environment, residents expect Congress to regulate the EPA.
"There has to be full accountability with the EPA on this. The EPA administrator was clear - not only today - but has been in the last few days, that the EPA takes full responsibility. But there is also oversight responsibility by the Congress," Lujan said.
The color in the Animas River in Farmington has returned to normal, but contaminated sediment remains. The long-term effects of the remaining sediment is unknown.
To those unfamiliar with the SW USA (CO, NM, AZ, UT), you have no idea how impactful this spillage has caused. Water is the 'life blood' of all here in the arid lands, fed by waters we assumed pristine, run off for agriculture, wells for drinking, ranching, recreation. The Animas & San Juan Rivers travel the route the Colorado River and one to Lake Powell. Sediment oozed into Lake Powell over the weekend. This is not a quick fix, folks.
Such blatant actions, no back up plan of spilling 3 MILLION gallons of toxic waste and not reporting, seeking assistance immediately is unconscionable. Yet, it does happen...world wide.
No, it's not for a Hollywood movie. (Geeze, how insensitive!)Yes, it's reminiscent of other toxic river accidents, you are correct.
The impact, while the water appears clean....well, I don't trust the EPA, FEMA or other Federal agencies help. Remember Katrina, Rita, Sandy hurricanes? Katrina was 10 yrs. ago...forever changing New Orleans.
While this is only a river serving a sparse population, it is an important tributary to the peoples of the SW region, drinking water if nothing else. It will continue to be a challenge to clean up and monitor crops, cattle, etc.
Navajo Nation president: ‘I’m not gonna be drinking this water’ after EPA spill
Navajo Nation president: ‘I’m not gonna be drinking this water’ after EPA spill
The Washington Times - Monday, August 17, 2015
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...resident-wont-drink-water-epa-spill/?page=all
DENVER — EPA officials have assured those living along the Animas and San Juan rivers that water quality is back to normal, but some locals can be forgiven if they don’t entirely trust the federal government after its monster mining spill.
Russell Begaye, president of the Navajo Nation, dipped a paper cup into Cement Creek outside the Gold King Mine on Sunday, 11 days after the Aug. 5 accident, and came up with several ounces of water the color of lemonade.
“One thing I can tell you is I’m not gonna be drinking this water. Even if I put in a purifying pill, I ain’t drinking it,” Mr. Begaye said in a video of the event posted Monday on his Facebook page....
So far the Navajo Nation, which straddles Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, has refused to lift the ban, with Mr. Begaye saying that he will base his decision on the findings of the Navajo Nation’s own EPA.
“I will lift the advisory only upon completion of the analysis by NNEPA and assured that the water is safe,” said Mr. Begaye in a Sunday statement....
“Because obviously a lot of people, especially on the national level, think that we’ve got this completely toxic river that’s completely unusable, and that’s not the case,” he said.
What’s most worrisome at this point is the still-orange sediment on the river bottom and banks...
EPA Region 6 deputy area commander Chris Ruhl said in a press call Saturday that the agency continues to test and monitor water quality along the Animas and San Juan rivers, adding that, “Just because sediment may be colored it doesn’t necessarily [mean] an indication of toxicity.”...
Mr. Begaye isn’t so sure, saying in his Sunday video that he’s not yet ready for the Navajo Nation in New Mexico to starting using the San Juan River again for drinking and agriculture.
“I’m just going to say that the health of the Navajo Nation comes first with us, not the almighty dollar, and so that’s how we’re going to make our decision is to make sure the water is healthy for our animals, out livestock, our farms,” Mr. Begaye says. “We do not want to contaminate our canals and our farmland.”
“I came back down here to see what the condition of the river is,” Mr. Begaye said in the video filmed Sunday. “This water right here flows into the Animas, and the Animas flows right into the San Juan. It’s a lot better than it was a week ago when we were here.”
“Whatever chemical they’re putting into the river is working because it’s not as yellow as before,” he said.....
Navajo Nation president: ‘I’m not gonna be drinking this water’ after EPA spill
The Washington Times - Monday, August 17, 2015
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...resident-wont-drink-water-epa-spill/?page=all
DENVER — EPA officials have assured those living along the Animas and San Juan rivers that water quality is back to normal, but some locals can be forgiven if they don’t entirely trust the federal government after its monster mining spill.
Russell Begaye, president of the Navajo Nation, dipped a paper cup into Cement Creek outside the Gold King Mine on Sunday, 11 days after the Aug. 5 accident, and came up with several ounces of water the color of lemonade.
“One thing I can tell you is I’m not gonna be drinking this water. Even if I put in a purifying pill, I ain’t drinking it,” Mr. Begaye said in a video of the event posted Monday on his Facebook page....
So far the Navajo Nation, which straddles Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, has refused to lift the ban, with Mr. Begaye saying that he will base his decision on the findings of the Navajo Nation’s own EPA.
“I will lift the advisory only upon completion of the analysis by NNEPA and assured that the water is safe,” said Mr. Begaye in a Sunday statement....
“Because obviously a lot of people, especially on the national level, think that we’ve got this completely toxic river that’s completely unusable, and that’s not the case,” he said.
What’s most worrisome at this point is the still-orange sediment on the river bottom and banks...
EPA Region 6 deputy area commander Chris Ruhl said in a press call Saturday that the agency continues to test and monitor water quality along the Animas and San Juan rivers, adding that, “Just because sediment may be colored it doesn’t necessarily [mean] an indication of toxicity.”...
Mr. Begaye isn’t so sure, saying in his Sunday video that he’s not yet ready for the Navajo Nation in New Mexico to starting using the San Juan River again for drinking and agriculture.
“I’m just going to say that the health of the Navajo Nation comes first with us, not the almighty dollar, and so that’s how we’re going to make our decision is to make sure the water is healthy for our animals, out livestock, our farms,” Mr. Begaye says. “We do not want to contaminate our canals and our farmland.”
“I came back down here to see what the condition of the river is,” Mr. Begaye said in the video filmed Sunday. “This water right here flows into the Animas, and the Animas flows right into the San Juan. It’s a lot better than it was a week ago when we were here.”
“Whatever chemical they’re putting into the river is working because it’s not as yellow as before,” he said.....
I'll side with the Navaho Nation on this...
Not sure how the laws read on this but I am of the opinion that EPA should be 100% fully responsible for this since it was their actions that caused the release. The contractor was only doing as they were instructed, so far as I can tell... But... In another article I read, the contractor breached the bottom of the catchment... If this is the case...
Wtf can ya expect?
Nobody digs into the bottom of a dam unless they're intentionally trying to breach it.
Thanks for the articles Aridbud.
Also... An observation that really has nothing to do with the general topic...
Why, when somebody mentions a possible "conspiracy" do people automatically attach the cliche "theory" to the end of it?
A theory is nothing more than an educated guess and excludes probability! For example:
In theory, IF I bought a lottery ticket I could win $1,000,000. As long as I do not purchase that ticket, it remains a theory. Once I purchase a ticket, the theory goes out the window and becomes a probability.
Therefore, once there is evidence, no matter how small, that links action to probability, theory no longer exists!
Not sure how the laws read on this but I am of the opinion that EPA should be 100% fully responsible for this since it was their actions that caused the release. The contractor was only doing as they were instructed, so far as I can tell... But... In another article I read, the contractor breached the bottom of the catchment... If this is the case...
Wtf can ya expect?
Nobody digs into the bottom of a dam unless they're intentionally trying to breach it.
Thanks for the articles Aridbud.
Also... An observation that really has nothing to do with the general topic...
Why, when somebody mentions a possible "conspiracy" do people automatically attach the cliche "theory" to the end of it?
A theory is nothing more than an educated guess and excludes probability! For example:
In theory, IF I bought a lottery ticket I could win $1,000,000. As long as I do not purchase that ticket, it remains a theory. Once I purchase a ticket, the theory goes out the window and becomes a probability.
Therefore, once there is evidence, no matter how small, that links action to probability, theory no longer exists!
Puh-leeze. It takes a big leap of faith (or lack of it) with a full flip & half twist to go from the facts at hand to the notion that this might have been intentional. That's Benghazi.
Meanwhile, it's apparently not as bad as first feared-
http://www.durangoherald.com/articl.../Survey-of-Animas-River-fish-looks-promising-
My guess is it's force of habit especially if the conspiracy involves the Federal Government in the US. What sucks is that it's not entirely unwarranted. I mean you got things like Watergate, Iran–Contra affair, all the stuff the CIA has done and continues to do such as tapping into peoples activities on the internet, personal conversations, etc. These things combined leaves one to wonder.
Now in this case I agree that it was just an accident, it's just ironic that of all agencies that might be at fault it turns out to be the EPA's fault. The very same EPA whose task it is, to set the rules and standards on how things should be done, to avoid these types of accidents. I guess what I'm speaking to is these agencies or anything in government for that matter, exists thru the taxes gained off of our hard labor. So in essence we bought it and therefore we have the right to be outraged when our 3 Trillion dollars plus appears to be wasted. Oh, and guess who will ultimately foot the bill it's going to take to clean things up and make it right?
So we should all call our representatives?
Wait... the White House??
Oh no it's best to take it to the Supreme Court right??
I gotta change my pants...
It's impossible to type that without pissing myself laughing!!!!
Any outrage at this point would be more useful forming La Resistance.
And buying punch and pie.
They don't give a fuck about us.
We had that nailed down in the 50's.
What do you expect next?
Wait... the White House??
Oh no it's best to take it to the Supreme Court right??
I gotta change my pants...
It's impossible to type that without pissing myself laughing!!!!
Any outrage at this point would be more useful forming La Resistance.
And buying punch and pie.
They don't give a fuck about us.
We had that nailed down in the 50's.
What do you expect next?
