A toxic leak of wastewater that has turned a Colorado river mustard yellow is three times larger than US officials had originally estimated.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now says that three million gallons of wastewater spilled from an abandoned mine last week.
The EPA does not believe wildlife is in significant danger because the sludge moved so quickly downstream.
Local authorities took steps to protect drinking water supplies and farms.
The spill began on 5 August when EPA workers, who were cleaning up the closed Gold King Mine, accidentally sent the toxic water flowing into a tributary of the Animas River.
The Animas River has been closed and local officials have advised people to stay out of the water.
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:31 am
by Joe Guy
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:31 am
by Joe Guy
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:21 pm
by Lord Jim
The spill began on 5 August when EPA workers, who were cleaning up the closed Gold King Mine, accidentally sent the toxic water flowing into a tributary of the Animas River.
Seems to me if there's one thing you don't want EPA clean-up workers doing it's causing major toxic waste spills...
Kind of like a fire department starting fires...just kinda defeats the whole purpose...
"Do not cause major toxic waste spills" should probably be written on the blackboard on the first day of EPA clean-up worker school...
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:32 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
The spill began on 5 August when EPA workers, who were cleaning up the closed Gold King Mine, accidentally sent the toxic water flowing into a tributary of the Animas River.
Irony at it's finest.
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:34 pm
by Long Run
Lord Jim wrote:
Seems to me if there's one thing you don't want EPA clean-up workers doing it's causing major toxic waste spills...
It's enough to make the Animas really angry.
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:53 pm
by Guinevere
1. Those "EPA workers" are most likely contractors, not actual EPA employees. The Agency hasn't had actual clean-up staff since, oh Ronald Reagan.
2. EPA is likely managing the clean up itself because the actual responsible parties have either dodged responsibility or no longer exist - probably some combination of both.
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:59 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
Rule #1
Do no harm.
Rule #2
See Rule #1.
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 2:09 pm
by Guinevere
Easy to say, much more difficult in actual practice.
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 3:19 pm
by TPFKA@W
This makes me ill thinking about the fish and wildlife affected by this.
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 5:23 pm
by Long Run
Plenty of ill thinking going round. Not so bad in a good sushi place though.
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 8:09 pm
by rubato
A large quantity of aqueous toxic waste was "stored" by its creators behind an earthen dam uphill and up-watershed from an important river. Those were the facts which caused the disaster and they were in place before the EPA did anything. It was a bomb ready to go off.
In other words; sometimes bombs go off when you're trying to defuse them. That does not make the bomb defuser the most responsible for the outcome.
And I'm sure it didn't help that the GOP has cut so much finding from EPA.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Yellow river
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 9:06 pm
by Crackpot
Storing this type of waste on site is standard practice for mines as mandated by the EPA. Nothing in the story indicates that the spill had anything to do with negligence on part of the mine.
