Environmental Terrorists contaminate Animas River in Colorado! USA under siege

[thorfourwinds]

Environmental Terrorists
contaminate Animas River in Colorado!
USA under siege from rogue government agency

Catastrophe on the Animas

Thursday, August 6, 2015
Toxic water floods river after EPA disaster at Gold King Mine in Silverton

Acidic wastewater from an abandoned mine above Silverton coursed its way through La Plata County on Thursday, turning the Animas River orange-brown, forcing the city of Durango to stop pumping raw water from the river and persuading the sheriff to close the river to public use.

Residents lined the banks of the Animas River on Thursday afternoon to watch the toxic wastewater as it flowed through Durango city limits. But the sludge slowed as it snaked its way through the oxbow in the Animas Valley, and the murk didn't arrive until after 8 p.m.

The accident occurred about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Gold King Mine in San Juan County. A mining and safety team working on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency triggered the discharge, according to a news release issued by the EPA.

The EPA's team was working with heavy equipment to secure and consolidate a safe way to enter the mine and access contaminated water, said Richard Mylott, a spokesman for the EPA in Denver. The project was intended to pump and treat the water and reduce metal pollution flowing out of the mine into Cement Creek, he said.

The disaster released about 1 million gallons of acidic water containing sediment and metals flowing as an orange-colored discharge downstream through Cement Creek and into the Animas River.

Really?

"About 1 million gallons" according to whom?

By what measuring device?

Merely "acidic" water?

Substitute 'TEPCO' for 'EPA' and 'Fukushima' for 'Colorado' and we have the same bovine excrement.

The US Government/EPA will never tell, we, the people, the truth.

This may have truly been an 'accident,' but we smell a cover-up already in action here.

River Closure
The Animas River was closed to tubers, rafters and kayakers Thursday as the toxic plume made its way through Durango. The closure went into effect at 3 p.m., and it will remain in effect indefinitely until the river is deemed safe, said La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith. Government officials aren't certain what toxins and at what levels toxins are present in the river, and, therefore, decided it was best to close the river to public use.

The closure, which applies to all flotation devices, is in effect for the entire stretch of the Animas River in La Plata County.

"This decision was made in the interest of public health after consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, San Juan Basin Health Department and representatives of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe," Smith said. "EPA test results of the Animas River are expected within 24-48 hours, and the order will be re-evaluated at that time."

City to conserve water
The city of Durango stopped pumping water out of the Animas River on Wednesday to prevent contaminating the city reservoir.

The Animas is an important secondary source of water for the city during the summer, and residents need to conserve as much water as possible over the next few days until the water is safe to use, said Steve Salka, the city's utilities director.

No formal water restrictions were issued.

At south City Market, Sean Lumen, who was hoisting bottled water onto emptied shelves, said if customers continued to buy water at Thursday's rate, the store would run out sometime Friday.

A prudent Manager would have already arranged for a semi-truck load to be delivered overnight. Did these guys receive their training from FEMA?

At Albertsons, front-end manager Shelley Osborn said she initially thought people were buying up bottled water at an unusually rapid rate because it was on sale.

Aaron Memro, grocery manager, estimated Albertsons sold two pallets of water Thursday – far more than usual.

During the emergency, Salka will not send raw water to Hillcrest Golf Club or Fort Lewis College for grounds use. The city also will not water any city-owned parks for the next three days to help conserve, he said.

On hot summer days, the city can use up to 9.2 million gallons a day. But the city can pump only 5.3 million gallons a day out of the Florida River.

The city reservoir was about 4.5 feet below capacity on Wednesday, Salka said.
"This couldn't happen at a worse time for me, so I have to be really cautious," he said.

EARTH AID CONCERT on Twitter: "ENVIRONMENTAL TERRORISTS contaminate Animas river! We must band together to stop the attacks on USA! https://t.co/S25UJywLS9 via @YouTube"

TOO FUNNY!
Zorgon's favorite rag - the Las Vegas Review Journal deleted this (the above) comment!

So much for unbiased journalism... not surprising, considering their 'reportage' of the Yucca Mountain debacle.

Our original here:

Fish habitat
The EPA downplayed the potential effects on aquatic life, saying there are long-standing water-quality impairment issues associated with heavy metals in Cement Creek and upper portions of the Animas River. As a result, there are no fish populations in the Cement Creek watershed, and fish populations have historically been impaired for several miles downstream of Silverton in the Animas River, the release said.

So, because all aquatic life has been previously wiped out by "long-standing water-quality impairment issues associated with heavy metals", there is no problem with this new unfolding disaster?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife placed four cages containing fish in the Animas River to monitor what happens to them, said spokesman Joe Lewandowski. The cages were placed at 32nd Street, the fish hatchery, Dallabetta Park and the High Bridge.

"We'll see if those fish survive," Lewandowski said. "We're also monitoring to make sure we don't get infiltration into the hatchery, because that could be a problem."

Peter Butler, co-coordinator of the Animas River Stakeholders Group and former chairman of the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission, said it remains to be seen whether the toxic metal concentrations flowing downriver will impact the few fish species living below Bakers Bridge. But if the plume does have a negative impact on aquatic life, Butler estimated that fish would die within hours of contact with the plume.

The contaminated water made its way to Bakers Bridge in La Plata County by Thursday morning and hit town by Thursday evening. The material was expected to cross the New Mexico state line between 4 and 5 a.m. Friday and arrive in Farmington on Friday evening.

Farmington city officials shut down all water-supply intake pumps to avoid contamination and advised citizens to stay out of the river until the discoloration has passed.

Local officials asked all agricultural water users to shut off water intakes.

So, now all the foodstuffs in the fields will be without water in the middle of a heatwave? How convenient.    

What's in the water?

Butler said the water being discharged from Gold King carried high concentrations of iron, aluminum, cadmium, zinc and copper.

So much for the EPA statement about the plume being 'merely acidic.'   

While he didn't know precisely the metal levels in the water that surged out of Gold King on Wednesday, Butler said: "I'm sure they were really high."

Though Gold King has no record of emitting mercury, Butler said "when old mines open up like that, mercury sometimes drains out. Possibly, some other metals might have been released, like lead and arsenic. But there's no evidence of that at this point."

Butler said Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety scientist Kirstin Brown had tested pH levels – the telltale measure of acidity in water – in the Animas River at Trimble Lane when the toxic plume arrived.

The pH level dropped from 7.8 to 5.8.

"That's a pretty big drop," Butler said.

And that's quite an understatement. 

Silverton does not use water from Cement Creek, so its water source remained uncontaminated, said William Tookey, the San Juan County administrator who met Thursday with EPA officials.

The Animas River was looking healthier about 24 hours after the discharge in Silverton, he said.

Gold King problems
This is not the first time there has been a water-related accident at one of the mines, but it did come as a surprise to the town, Tookey said.

He was not sure if the release would change attitudes toward the EPA in town. For years, some town residents and local officials have been opposed to a Superfund listing.

"Since it was the EPA that was responsible for this, it may make people less likely to be open to them," he said.

Butler said everyone invested in improving the Animas River's water quality wanted to get into Gold King, because, for years, it has been one of the two biggest contributors of heavy-metal loads in the Animas Basin.

"They had a plan for handling the mine pool, but something went wrong, and it all came blowing out," Butler said.

EPA teams will be sampling and investigating downstream locations over the next several days to confirm the release has passed and poses no additional concerns for aquatic life or water users.

"This unfortunate incident underscores the very reason EPA and the state of Colorado are focused on addressing the environmental risks at abandoned mine sites," said David Ostrander, director of EPA's emergency-response program in Denver. "We are thankful that the personnel working on this mine cleanup project were unharmed. EPA will be assessing downstream conditions to ensure any impacts and concerns are addressed, as necessary."

Published on Aug 6, 2015

Wastewater spill from Colorado gold mine triples in volume: EPA

(Reuters) - Some 3 million gallons of toxic wastewater, triple previous estimates, have poured from a defunct Colorado gold mine into local streams since a team of Environmental Protection Agency workers accidentally triggered the spill last week, EPA officials said on Sunday.

The discharge, containing high concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and lead, was continuing to flow at the rate of 500 gallons per minute on Sunday, four days after the spill began at the Gold King Mine, the EPA said.

An unspecified number of residents living downstream of the spill who draw their drinking supplies from their private wells have reported water discoloration, but there has been no immediate evidence of harm to human health, livestock or wildlife, EPA officials told reporters in a telephone conference call.

Still, residents were advised to avoid drinking or bathing in water drawn from wells in the vicinity, and the government was arranging to supply water to homes and businesses in need.

The spill began on Wednesday after an EPA inspection team was called to the abandoned mine near the town of Silverton in southwestern Colorado to examine previously existing wastewater seepage.

Yellow mine waste water from the Gold King Mine collects in holding pools in San Juan County, Colorado, is seen in this picture released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) taken August 7, 2015. (REUTERS/EPA/Handout)

As workers excavated loose debris at the site, they inadvertently breached the wall of a mine tunnel, unleashing a flow of the orange-tinged slurry that cascaded into Cement Creek and then into the Animas River downstream.

The town of Durango, Colorado, roughly 50 miles south of the spill site, shut off its intakes of river water as a precaution, according to the EPA.

By Friday, the main plume of the spill had traveled some 75 miles south to the New Mexico border, prompting utilities in the towns of Aztec and Farmington to shut off their intakes from the Animas as well, local authorities said.

Agency officials said they were consulting with representatives of the Navajo Nation, whose sprawling reservation borders Farmington and the San Juan River, which is fed by the Animas River and has also been tainted by the spill.

EPA previously estimated 1 million gallons of wastewater had been released since Wednesday, but on Sunday the agency revised that up to 3 million gallons, based on measurements taken at a U.S. Geological Survey stream gauge.

Yellow mine waste water from the Gold King Mine collects in a holding pool in San Juan County

In recent days, EPA has been diverting the ongoing release into two newly built settling ponds where the waste was being treated with chemicals to lower its acidity and to filter out dissolved solids before being discharged to Cement Creek.

The creek's water quality has already been badly degraded from a long history of acid mine drainage in the area, agency officials said.

Preliminary water sampling from the creek and Animas River showed that concentrations of heavy metals briefly spiked in areas reached by the wastewater plume but appeared to clear considerably once it had passed downstream, EPA regional Administrator Shaun McGrath said.

EPA officials said that by Sunday, a delineated "leading edge" of the contamination flow was no longer visible from aerial surveys, indicating concentrations of wastewater were diminishing.

Gold mine's toxic plume extends to Utah

Staff, The (Farmington, N.M.) Daily Times
6:45 p.m. EDT August 10, 2015

FARMINGTON, N.M. — The plume of heavy metals released last week into the Animas River from the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colo., reached Utah on Monday.

Evan O'Keefe, supervisor with the San Juan County Geographical Information Systems department, estimated Monday that the plume, which is now in the San Juan River, had traveled about three hours south of Aneth, Utah.

The Gold King Mine's discharge raises the possibility of long-term damage from the toxic metals falling out of suspension as the plume slowly moves along the river.

"Sediment does settle," said  Shaun McGrath, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 8. "It settles down to the bottom of the river bed."

One rural water user association in the county has spent thousands of dollars buying water from Farmington and Aztec because it had to shut down its wells after the toxic mine waste spilled into the Animas last week.

"We don't want to take a chance of contaminating them — and it sure has cost us a lot of money," said Rick Mitchell, Flora Vista Mutual Domestic Water Association general manager.

Mustard-colored water loaded with heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, copper, aluminum and cadmium, began rushing out of the Gold King Mine in southern Colorado on Wednesday after an EPA team disturbed a dam of loose rock lodged in the mine.

The deluge of polluted water poured into Cement Creek and continued into the Animas River. The plume of pollution, clearly visible from the air and estimated to be more than 80 miles long at one point, reached Farmington, N.M., on Saturday morning.

EPA's McGrath said future runoff from storms will kick that toxic sediment back into the water, which means there will need to be long-term monitoring.

He added that "the Animas River has historically been polluted by acid mine drainage."

Uhhhh does that mean that this later spill is of no consequence to the 'downwinders', errr, 'downrivers'., or 'downplumers.' EPA's track record is dismal, to say the least, in pro-active attention to the immediate effects on the human populace.

And just who is paying for all the water that has to replaced for 'X' amount of time in the affected communities?

Chapters within the Northern Agency have started the process of issuing emergency declarations after toxic mine waste flowed down the San Juan River onto the Navajo Nation.

The San Juan River travels west through the Navajo Nation, then converges with the Colorado River at Lake Powell in southeastern Utah. For the chapter communities near the San Juan River, it is the main source of water for crops and livestock.

So far, the chapters of Upper Fruitland, Nenahnezad, San Juan and Shiprock have issued either declarations or resolutions calling for a state of emergency within their boundaries.

The "slug" of pollution, which the EPA says contains metals and is about as acidic as black coffee, is headed toward Lake Powell.

Silverton is surrounded by abandoned mines, and the EPA was checking on one of the worst ones, the Gold King, when the breach occurred. Area residents are furious that the federal agency charged with fighting pollution accidentally caused it.

The Animas has largely returned to running clear below Silverton and into Durango, although some of the orange sediment remains in some puddles and along the shore.

Officials advise residents with wells in the flood plains of the Animas River and the San Juan River downstream of the confluence of the two rivers to have their water tested before using it for cooking, drinking or bathing.

County Executive Officer Kim Carpenter voiced frustration about the delay in getting information about the chemicals in the water. The data, he said, will "give us a big picture of what we are going to deal with and the long-term effects we will have to deal with."

Contributing: Steve Garrison and Joshua Kellogg, The (Farmington, N.M.) Daily Times and Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY


What a surprise!

'Only' THREE TIMES what the EPA downplayed as the original spill amount!

Published on Aug 8, 2015
Drone footage shot on Friday revealed how the stretch of the Animas River near Silverton had changed colour, after an estimated one millions gallons of toxic waste from an environmental mine contaminated it. The wastewater, which is rich in heavy metals such as lead and cadmium as well as the poisonous arsenic, was unintentionally released while a team was working at a Gold King Mine entrance.

Meanwhile, it is a crisis in one area that could affect many other areas in the drought-stricken and sometimes desperate southwest.

California has been in a severe drought crisis, with farmers calling it quits to sell high priced water to cities. Other cities across the globe, like Bangkok and Sao Paulo face severe water shortages and desperately dependent, large urban populations.

Colorado woman narrowly averts death by avoiding drinking contaminated Animas River water
(Image Credit: Durango Herald)

Toxic EPA Spill Forces Southwestern Cities into 90-Day Water Supply


By Mac Slavo
AUGUST 10, 2015

The very agency charged with protecting the environment has caused a toxic waste spill from an environmental disposal mine filled with a megaload of heavy metals including high levels of arsenic, lead and cadmium.

Residents in two New Mexico towns have been forced onto emergency water rations after the federal government caused the disastrous spill of environmentally sequestered carcinogenic heavy metals.

Thanks to the EPA, these towns have been cut off from their source of water overnight — due to incompetence by the federal government no less.

Their populations have been warned that they must rely upon a 90-day estimated supply of water until the EPA can thoroughly test the water, and clear it for safe usage.

The incident took place in southwest Colorado, spilling into the Animas River near the town of Silverton. The contaminated waters have overwhelmed at least two towns downstream in New Mexico, while the EPA admits the severe levels of toxins are also headed for parts of Utah, after the Animas joins a larger river.

RT reports:
Toxic waste, including arsenic and lead, which seeped into a river in southwest Colorado, has now crossed the state border into New Mexico. More than 550 gallons per minute are entering the water flow system according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which caused the spill.

The agency says it should have the results of samples undergoing lab testing soon, so they can find out just how contaminated the river has become. Aside from lead and arsenic, federal officials say the spill also contains, cadmium, aluminum, copper and calcium.
[...]
Officials in the cities of Aztec and Farmington say they have shut down the river's access to water treatment plants, adding that the communities had a 90-day supply of water.

The Animas flows into the San Juan River in New Mexico, and the San Juan flows into Utah, where it joins the Colorado River in Lake Powell. There are also reports that the contaminated water is heading towards Utah.

Heavy metal contamination has been one of the most detrimental environmental killers across the world. Numerous sites of corporate malfeasance and corruption have resulted in concentrated cases of villages and areas afflicted by contaminated water that have triggered cancer clusters and chronic disorders among populations.

The river turned orange in color at its Colorado point, striking an alarming contrast to the typical river, as pictures and footage show:

Contaminated wastewater is seen at the entrance to the Gold King Mine in San Juan County, Colo., in this picture released by the Environmental Protection Agency. The photo was taken Wednesday; the plume of contaminated water has continued to work its way downstream. (Reuters /Landov)

EPA Says It Released 3 Million Gallons Of Contaminated Water Into River : The Two-Way : NPR

August 10, 2015
In an event that has led to health warnings and turned a river orange, the Environmental Protection Agency says one of its safety teams accidentally released contaminated water from a mine into the Animas River in southwest Colorado.

The spill, which sent heavy metals, arsenic and other contaminants into a waterway that flows into the San Juan National Forest, occurred Wednesday. The EPA initially said 1 million gallons of wastewater had been released, but that figure has risen sharply.

From member station KUNC, Stephanie Paige Ogburn reports for our Newscast unit:

"The EPA now estimates 3 million gallons of wastewater spilled from the mine into the Animas River. They also confirmed lead concentrations had spiked over 3,500 times historic levels just above the town of Durango.

"Debra McKean, a toxicologist with the agency, says levels peak and then decrease as the contamination flows downriver.

" 'Yes, those numbers are high and they are scary because they seem so high,' she said, 'especially compared to the baseline numbers.'

"New test results show significant increases in arsenic levels, and some mercury has been detected. Durango and La Plata County have declared a state of emergency."

Officials are warning residents, farmers and outdoor enthusiasts to avoid the water. The spill occurred at Cement Creek, releasing contaminants that will eventually make their way downstream toward New Mexico and Utah, in a river system that links to the Colorado River and Arizona.

Update at 2:30 p.m. ET: Contaminants Reach New Mexico
The National Park Service says that the plume of wastewater has now reached the San Juan River in New Mexico, NPR's Howard Berkes reports.

Howard adds that the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has issued a statement saying, "Most river sediments will settle out of the water when the river current slows at Lake Powell."

GCNRA spokeswoman Cynthia Sequanna tells Howard that in the slackwater of the lake, "We expect most sediments will drop out in the 40-mile section of the San Juan River that is part of Lake Powell."

The Colorado River also runs through Lake Powell in that same section.

With great respect,
tfw
Peace Love Light
Liberty & Equality or Revolution

Hec'el oinipikte  (that we shall live)

[thorfourwinds]

The water took on a greenish hue Sunday at Bakers Bridge, a marked difference
from Thursday morning when the Animas River turned mustard-yellow after a contaminated
spill at the Gold King Mine in San Juan County (Courtesy of Angie Wingerd/Ignited Imagery)

EPA working around the clock to respond to Animas River spill

Toxic River Worse Than Originally Thought
An accidental wastewater spill from an abandoned mine in Colorado that turned the Animas River orange last week is actually three times worse than previously thought, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials announced.

Now, local officials in towns downstream from the spill say they want answers about how much of a lasting impact the environmental disaster will have on their drinking water.

The agency on Thursday estimated that a million gallons of highly acidic mine wastewater were released from an abandoned mine that contaminated the Animas River in La Plata County, Colorado.

But after using a stream gauge from the U.S. Geological Survey, the EPA now says that real figure is actually 3 million gallons of wastewater.

In an ironic twist, a mining safety team working for the EPA that was trying to access, treat and pump out the wastewater for an ongoing cleanup project triggered the release using heavy equipment, the Durango Herald reports.

The wastewater, which spilled into Cement Creek before flowing into the Animas River, contains high concentrations of metals like manganese, aluminum, cadmium, zinc and copper.

Cement Creek joins the Animas River in Silverton.
Discoloration is acidic water heavy in metals and minerals from
mine accident at the Gold King mine on Wednesday (photo: jaycanode)

The Associated Press reported that Colorado and New Mexico have declared stretches of the Animas and San Juan rivers to be disaster areas. The EPA said there doesn't appear to be a visible leading edge of contamination as of Monday, but residents remain uneasy and angry about the spill, the AP added.

Residing in parts of New Mexico, Utah and Arizona, the Navajo Nation declared an emergency and stopped diverting San Juan River water,  the report also said. Tribe officials said in a special meeting Monday that the federal government should be held accountable for the disaster.

"We hope to work with our sister states to ensure our citizens are protected and whatever remediation is necessary occurs as quickly as possible," Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes said in a statement. "We will continue to evaluate the legal issues as we receive data and monitor the effects on our communities."

San Juan River as it enters Lake Powell (photo: Doug Sherman)

Denver affiliate 7News said that as of Sunday the pollutants had traveled more than 100 miles south into New Mexico.

EPA officials told NBC News that the toxic plume was moving toward Lake Powell in Arizona and steadily approaching the Grand Canyon. According to the New Mexico Environment Department, the EPA and the NMED are offering free testing for domestic well water at a station outside the San Juan County Fair this week. Owners of wells in the Animas River floodplain will be prioritized.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper issued an emergency declaration in response to the spill, freeing up funds for cleanup efforts. Durango and La Plata County, Colorado, officials also declared states of emergencies to mobilize response teams, the Durango Herald reports.

Despite the high concentration of metal and orange juice-like appearance of the Animas River's water, there have been no mass dieoffs of animals or insects in the area.

Hickenlooper said Tuesday that it's believed most of the well has now been plugged up, but state workers and the EPA need to work quickly to clean up the waste that leaked. Hickenlooper, a former geologist, said that if there's a silver lining in this disaster, it's that a new bond will hopefully be formed between the state and EPA to solve the problem.

EPA officials said that over time the metal-laden wastewater would eventually settle at the bottom of the river. That could pose problems in the future, according to EPA administrator Shaun McGrath.

"We do expect over the coming months and years as there are surges in the river that sediment can get kicked up," McGrath told the Durango Herald. "We'll really need to have long-term monitoring plans."

The EPA is still working to release a more thorough report of the spill's composition and impacts.

Did we not hear the exact same words from TEPCO?

Though the environmental impacts of the spill – both current and future – remain unclear, tourism has already been affected. Drew Beezley, co-owner of 4 Corners Whitewater in Durango, told the Associated Press his company has cancelled 20 rafting trips on the Animas River so far - during what promised to be a good rafting year because of heavy snowmelt.

The contaminated water is expected to arrive at Utah's Lake Powell via the San Juan River sometime early next week, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has already issued an alert advising visitors not to "drink, fish, or swim" until further notice.

[zorgon]

So lemme see if I got this,,,

the water contains high concentrations of metals like manganese, aluminum, cadmium, zinc and copper.

These elements came from a mine up river where they existed naturally in the ground... 

in one concentrated location...

They are now dispersed over a wide region and back in the ground

Is that about right?

[WarToad]

"Environmental Terrorists"  LOL!!   So that's what we call people attempting to treat the contaminated water?  They were trying to do the right thing.  They had an accident.  My God, that story has more spin than a tornado.

[zorgon]

We had in issue when John Lear closed the mine and the BLM was taking over.

By Nevada Law any taillings containing Mercury (used in extracting gold particles in the final crusher stage) had to be stores in barrels.  Before they would assume the property and refund John the environmental deposit and remove those barrels they had to do a Mercury test

So we went out... the BLM guys would not even take a scoop  so I filled the little jars for them.

Now here is the kicker  Where did John get the mercury?  It came from Cinnabar, and ore of mercury, that you crush with the gold ore

Where did the Cinnabar come from?

It is found locally in the area and mined along with the gold.

So in other words... it is ALREADY in the soil of the region. 

[Dyna]

So lemme see if I got this,,,

the water contains high concentrations of metals like manganese, aluminum, cadmium, zinc and copper.

These elements came from a mine up river where they existed naturally in the ground... 

in one concentrated location...

They are now dispersed over a wide region and back in the ground

Is that about right?

Right!

Member station KUNC explains how the mines became repositories of contaminated water:

"For most of the West's history, miners were basically allowed to run willy-nilly across the landscape, burrowing for gold, silver or other valuable minerals. According to Ronald Cohen, an environmental engineer at the Colorado School of Mines, whenever you dig into a mountain, 'at some point you are going to hit water.'
"That water, when it runs through the rocks in a mine, hits a mineral called pyrite, or iron sulfide. It reacts with air and pyrite to form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. That acid then continues through the mine, dissolving other heavy metals, like copper and lead. Eventually, you end up with water that's got high levels of a lot of undesirable materials in it."

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/08/10/431223703/epa-says-it-released-3-million-gallons-of-contaminated-water-into-river

[zorgon]

When I go mineral hunting... I look for rocks that look like THIS



The staining from natural iron leached out by water and flowing down the rock face is a clue that you will find something useful

There have been cases where miners drilled into a pocket of natural sulfuric acid... not at all a pleasant experience

In my old stomping grounds Bancroft Ontario... there are a lot of old Uranium mines. Up there the radioactive minerals are literally just lying around the region.. A lot of defects in the people of town from generations of miners..

There is one property  that has a bubbling spring... nice fresh ice cold water... from deep withinn that URANIUM mine   Would YOU fill your canteen?



I saw several rock hounds that did... I would go up to them and say "You DO realize this is a URANIUM mine, right?"   LOL

It has since been covered and posted but seriously people... you have a BRAIN

[thorfourwinds]

Dear Reader,

For the record, I have been an active foe of the EPA way before the Fukushima cover-up and this 'accident' at the Gold King Mine. My reportage of this latest incident is two-fold.

I have generational background ties to the Navaho and Hopi peoples and am interested that they are supported in this environmental crisis.

Two, I was raised on a 160-acre farm in rural Colorado, 'just up the road' - driving through Silverton and Ouray - from Durango (about a hundred miles). I have roots in Colorado and this incident deserves attention, as it is the mere tip of an environmental crisis in the making from these abandoned mines.

Regarding my accusing the EPA of being 'Environmental Terrorists,' I stand by my assessment of the true situation until proven otherwise.

Check this tasty bit of information:

This letter to editor, posted below, was published in The Silverton Standard and The Miner local newspaper, authored by a retired geologist, one week before EPA mine spill. The letter detailed verbatim, how EPA officials would foul up the Animas River on purpose in order to secure superfund money. If the Gold King mine was declared a superfund site it would essentially kill future development for the mining industry in the area. The Obama EPA is vehemently opposed to mining and development.

The EPA pushed for nearly 25 years, to apply its Superfund program to the Gold King mine. If a leak occurred the EPA would then receive superfund status. That is exactly what happened.

The EPA today admitted they misjudged the pressure in the gold mine before the spill – just as this editorial predicted.

The letter was included in their print edition on July 30, 2015. The spill occurred one week later.?

San Juan County Commissioner Pete McKay examines the Gold King #7
portal above Gladstone on Monday, Aug. 10, during a visit with EPA
officials to the site of a mine-waste blowout that contaminated the Animas
River on August 6 and thrust the area's water quality issues into the
national spotlight. Jon Austria/Farmington Daily-Times

The following story will give the reader a rather complete background on the Gold King Mine and the controversies surrounding abandoned mines in the immediate area...well worth reading, IMHO.

""Upon suspending work last year, the (EPA) backfilled the portal to the mine. While the USEPA was removing the backfill from the portal to the Gold King Mine to continue its investigation this year, the plug blew out releasing contaminated water behind the backfill into the Animas River," said Nancy Agro, the company's attorney in the statement."

"It's true that EPA officials took a "cavalier attitude" (EPA Region 8 administrator Shaun McGrath's words) in the first hours after the spill, downplaying the impacts and failing to notify those downstream. And they admit that before tinkering with the mine, they should have taken better steps to mitigate a possible disaster, such as drilling into the mine from the top to assess the situation without the danger of busting the dam."

The Gold King Mine (bottom of picture) and Cement Creek.
Cement Creek has probably never supported fish, and even before
the spill had a pH level of about 3.5, on par with Coca-Cola.
Jonathan Thompson w/ the help of EcoFlight

When our river turned orange — High Country News

August 9, 2015
by Jonathan Thompson

"The question that is crowding upon Durango thick and fast is one of water. The mill slimes from Silverton are now reaching us."
-- Durango Democrat, 1899

On a scorcher of an August afternoon, a crowd gathered on a bridge over the deep-green waters of the Animas River on the north end of Durango, Colorado. A passerby might have thought they were watching a sporting event, perhaps a kayak race or a flotilla of inebriated, scantily clad inner tubers. Yet the river that afternoon was eerily empty of rowers, paddlers or floaters — unheard of on a day like this — and the mood among the onlookers was sombre. One mingling in the crowd heard certain words repeated: sad, tragic, angry, toxic.

They were here not to cheer anyone on, but to mourn, gathered to watch a catastrophe unfold in slow motion. Soon, the waters below would become milky green, then a Gatorade yellow, before finally settling into a thick and cloudy orangish hue — some compared it to mustard, others Tang.
Whatever you called it, it was clearly not right.

The river turned a mustardy-Tang color as the wastewater moved through.
This was taken about 24 hours after the spill. (photo credit: Jonathan Thompson)

The mustard-Tang plume was the result of approximately three million gallons of wastewater and sludge that had poured from the dormant Gold King mine into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas, some 60 miles upstream on the previous morning.

The water had backed up in the mine behind a sort of dam formed when the mine portal's ceiling had collapsed sometime earlier. Workers from the Environmental Protection Agency were hoping to install a pipe to drain the water so that they could eventually plug the mine, keeping the contaminated water inside it and out of the streams. Instead, they ended up accidentally breaching the dam, releasing the water.

While the spill occurred just a few miles above Silverton, the impacts hit Durango the hardest. The Animas River courses through the middle of Durango, provides a portion of its drinking and irrigation water, and over the last few decades has become the recreational and aesthetic, wild, green heart of the city.

The spill essentially stopped the heart's beat. Officials closed the river for public health reasons, shutting down hundreds of recreational boaters and tubers, not to mention the local rafting industry. No one yet knows what will happen to the fish, the birds, the bugs and other wildlife that call the river home.

"I'm very sorry for what happened," said David Ostrander, EPA's emergency response director, at a public meeting in Durango held just hours after the plume reached town. "This is a huge tragedy. We typically respond to emergencies, not cause them."

Really, though, the EPA wasn't the root cause of the emergency. It was, most likely, a disaster waiting to happen and the most visible manifestation of an emergency that's been going on in the Upper Animas River Watershed for decades.

Here is a quote from the EPA worth remembering:

"Sampling done by the EPA upstream from Durango show that the plume's peak put the Animas River's water's acidity on par with black coffee, and contained elevated levels of iron, manganese, zinc and copper. But by the time it reached town, the acidity had been diluted significantly, and levels of those metals were far lower, but still "scary," according to EPA officials. Still, the plume moved through quickly, lessening harm.

A test by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, in which trout in cages were placed in the river prior to the plume's arrival, has so far shown no acute effects: Only one of 108 fish had died during the first 24 hours in contaminated water. Meanwhile, the Mountain Studies Institute has been monitoring macro-invertebrates, and their results have been similarly positive."

This short vid shows the EPA remediation efforts in action.

https://twitter.com/TrevorHughes/status/630758159804575744
Here's nine items to help you understand the big picture:

Now then. This is another reason that the EPA is not to be trusted.

Would this carp be allowed in any other place in the USA? I think not.

These perps need to be persecuted prosecuted!

NATIVE AMERICAN LIVES MATTER!

Navajo Nation leader rejects EPA no-sue waivers

Navajo Nation president bans EPA from handing out waiver forms to tribal members impacted by the toxic spill

August 12, 2015 10:29PM ET
by Tristan Ahtone @tahtone

Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to stop handing out forms to Navajo citizens impacted by the Animas River spill that would effectively waive an individual's rights to sue the agency for any future damages caused by contaminated water released from an abandoned mine upstream in Colorado last week.

"The people that live up and down the river, the Navajo people, many do not speak English, and those that do may not comprehend legal language," Begaye said.

Around 3 million gallons of toxic wastewater spilled into the Animas River from an abandoned gold mine in southern Colorado last week after an accident caused by the EPA. The agency says the water contains lead, arsenic, cadmium and other heavy metals, but has still not disclosed what impact the spill will have on river users downstream, like those in the Navajo Nation. However, Begaye says officials are already trying to preempt future lawsuits by taking advantage of Navajo citizens.

"My interpretation as president of the Navajo Nation is the EPA is trying to minimize the amount of compensation that the people deserve," said Begaye. "They want to close these cases and they don't want more compensation to come later."

The EPA did not return requests for comment.

What a surprise. Same old, same old as the 'response' to Fukushima.

"State and local officials in the areas affected by the spill have characterized EPA's initial response as too slow and too small. It took about 24 hours to first notify some downstream communities of the accident and the agency originally underestimated the volume of the spill.

The plume of pollution has since flowed at least 100 miles downstream to New Mexico, where towns and cities have been forced to close their intake valves to protect public water supplies."

Why would they have to take such drastic measures to ensure the safety of the public water supply? The EPA stated that the acidity was equal to a cup of black coffee.   

Sen. Jim Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said Tuesday he is closely monitoring EPA's spill response.

"This has and will continue to lead to significant economic damage to local businesses, farmers, tribes and residents," said Inhofe, R-Okla. "I will work within the committee and with my colleagues in Congress to ensure the EPA is held accountable to this grave incident and that those impacted are provided the necessary support to move forward."

Claims for damage, death or injury caused by a federal employee's negligence are covered under Standard Form 95, but the form also states that any payments made are final.

"They're saying if we pay you $500 for buying hay for your cattle, and you sign your name here, that's all you're going to get," said Begaye. "Next week if you find something else that comes up because of the contamination and maybe your livestock may be injured, then we can't pay you because you waived your right."

The Navajo Nation has declared a state of emergency and is planning lawsuits against the owner of the Gold King Mine, where the sludge originated, and the EPA for causing the spill. Navajo Nation officials are working around the clock on contingency plans, including drastic measures to protect farm and ranch livelihoods.

"We could ask all the owners if they could get their animals and bring them to the rodeo grounds and we could put them in pens," said Alvis Kee, manager of the Upper Fruitland Chapter House.

"We could get stock tanks with water, we could get the hay or whatever feed they need and to bring that over and provide it so they can insure that their livestock do not go to the river."

Other communities along the Animas are making their own plans. In Aztec, City Manager Josh Rays says authorities are primarily concerned with getting drinking water to residents who use wells instead of the municipal system.

"We have roughly 73 million gallons of untreated water in reserve," Rays said. "We have another three or four million gallons in treated water in reserve, so we have sufficient water supply for 30 to 45 days without having to access new water sources."

For the moment, Aztec is preparing for up to six months without access to the Animas. After that, Rays says that water will have to be trucked in.

"We just don't know how long this is going to last," Kee said. "We're hoping for the best, but we're starting to plan for the worst, and that's all we can do at this stage."

Colorado health official: No Animas River health risk - CNN

11 August 2015
...
"Over the next few days, the waters in the river are going to clear up," said Jeff Witte, New Mexico's agriculture secretary. "That's doesn't mean they're safe folks."

Mark Hayes of the EPA reminded residents not to use the water until they get an all clear. When that will be, officials don't know.
...
However, according to the EPA's own data, there were still very high levels of metals on Thursday. An arsenic sample tested 26 times higher than the EPA acceptable level.

Lead was even worse -- much worse.

"Oh my God! Look at the lead!" said Joseph Landolph, a toxicologist at the University of Southern California, pointing to a lead level in the Animas River nearly 12,000 times higher than the acceptable level set by the EPA.

And one thing is for sure: these metals don't disappear. Even if they go down to low levels in the water, they will likely be in the sediment and could be kicked up into the water at any time.

After colorado mine spill, does danger lurk in Lake Powell?

2 August 2015
Lake Powell is a body of water that provides drinking water for much of the Western United States.


GREAT VIDEO!
A good explanation of the SUPERFUND enigma.

Ground zero for the toxic spill

EPA chief Gina McCarthy says water quality in Animas back to "pre-event conditions"

08/12/2015 12:12:04 PM MDT
DURANGO — Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy said Wednesday that water quality in La Plata County has "returned to pre-event conditions" after last week's Gold King Mine wastewater spill.

The spill was caused by an EPA cleanup crew on Aug. 5 and released 3 million gallons of acidic water into the Animas River basin.

"We have water quality data from August 7, 8 and 9 from La Plata County that show levels have returned to pre-event conditions," McCarthy said during a 15-minute news conference in Durango at the command center.

While in the region, McCarthy is not planning a trip to the Gold King Mine, nor is she holding a public meeting. The incident, she said, was a "heart-breaking situation."
She said the agency will have an internal investigation and an independent review of how the accident occurred.

She said any cleanup at mines that have similar conditions around the nation have been "put on hold" until they learn how the Gold King accident happened.

The agency, she said, is "looking at those to make sure there is no similar potential that happened here that might happen in those activities, so we're going to put those on hold until we look at them all and make sure. And if there are similar situations to what we saw today, we will await the results of those investigations before we proceed with assessments or cleanup efforts."

Just before McCarthy addressed the media, the Colorado and New Mexico congressional delegations sent a letter to President Obama to request federal resources to help respond to the Gold King Mine spill. They also approach the idea of a water treatment plant in the Upper Animas River to remove heavy metals from the watershed at its source.

"This is truly a national disaster that requires the attention, coordinated efforts, and resources of multiple federal agencies," the letter states.

"The communities we represent expect and deserve a prompt and thorough response to this disaster as well as transparency and accountability from the federal government," it read.

"There also must be an improvement in the speed of water quality and sediment testing and in the dissemination of fully-interpreted results to the public. The EPA is conducting water and sediment sampling and analyses, but the interpreted results have not been made readily available to the public."

The letter was signed by Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet (D) and Cory Gardner (R) as well as Rep. Scott Tipton (R), along with New Mexico Democrats Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and Rep. Ben Ray Luján.

McCarthy is scheduled to be in New Mexico on Thursday.

When asked about what some local officials have said was a slow response by the EPA to notify the public, McCarthy said "we will address those issue as we look at the investigation and will work with the states moving forward.

"The most important thing is we are moving forward. We are fully ramped up. We have data coming in, we can assess that the data."

And now, for something completely different.

"The river is a lifeline for our people."
Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye

Navajo Nation Mourning, Pleading for Help After Toxic Mine Spill Contaminates Rivers - ABC News

Navajo President: EPA Was Warned About Possible Toxic Spill - NBC News

12 August 2015
Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye talks about millions of gallons of toxic waste that spilled into a southwestern Colorado river.


UPDATE 11:00 PM EST 13 AUGUST 2015

Absolutely too funny!

This fits in the "Guess I was right from the start" department.   

As you all know, I have been working on this angle from the beginning of this fiasco, and prior to posting today, and I just ran a search for 'superfund' and this pops up:

Conspiracy: Did the EPA Intentionally Poison Animas River to Secure SuperFund Money? | The Daily Sheeple

Did The EPA Intentionally Poison Animas River To Secure SuperFund Money? | Zero Hedge

With great respect,
tfw
Peace Love Light
Liberty & Equality or Revolution

Hec'el oinipikte  (that we shall live)

[zorgon]

BREAKING NEWS

The Environmental Polluting Agency's plane after flying over surrounding Indian reservations inspecting toxic mine spill on Animas river.

[thorfourwinds]

Joe Ben Jr tests the water from tanks at the Chief Hill location
in Shiprock, New Mexico. (Photograph: Alexa Rogals/AP)

Navajo leader feels betrayed by EPA over 'contaminated' water supply | Environment | The Guardian

The president of the Navajo Nation said he feels betrayed that water supplied by the Environmental Protection Agency appeared to be tainted with a black oily substance.

The water was delivered by the EPA to Shiprock, New Mexico, on Friday 14 August, to sustain agricultural operations and livestock after an EPA accident released a toxic plume from Gold King Mine into their natural water supply.

When the water arrived, Joe Ben Jr, a representative of Shiprock's farm board, said he rejected it after noting signs of contamination.

EPA officials told the Navajo president, Russell Begaye, that Ben is "an unstable individual" who was "agitating" – potentially to achieve some kind of political edge in the escalating discord between the EPA and the Navajo nation, according to Begaye.

The officials reported feeling threatened and subsequently evacuated all EPA personnel from Navajo territory, according to Begaye.

Begaye said he initially did not question the EPA's assurances.

But when he arrived in Shiprock and inspected the water for himself, he saw black objects floating in the water. When he squeezed them, he said they turned into a greasy streak.

"I was astounded," Begaye told the Guardian by phone on Thursday. "I couldn't believe there were black oily streaks in the water."

He said he filled up a cup three or four times to be sure, and each time, the same oily black spots appeared in the water. When he ran water from the intake valve, his hand was reportedly coated with oil and grease.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," he added. "I couldn't believe the EPA's higher-ups basically told me a lie."

The EPA contracted Triple S Trucking, which is part of the Aztec Well family of companies that services the oil and natural gas industry, to deliver the water while irrigation pumps that normally deliver water from the San Juan river are shut down pending water quality assessments.

Ben said he requested certification from Triple S Trucking and the EPA that the barrels used to store the water, allegedly used in fracking operations, had been thoroughly cleaned. But no such report was forthcoming, Ben said.

The Navajo Nation president, Russell Begaye:
'I couldn't believe the EPA's higher-ups basically told me a lie.'
(Photograph: Jon Austria/AP)

In a prepared statement, the EPA reported that Triple S claimed to have steam-cleaned and inspected tanks prior to delivering water sourced from the Bloomfield Utility Department in New Mexico for use at Shiprock.

The agency also promised to explore the Navajo Nation's allegations.

"The US EPA will work closely with Navajo Nation authorities to investigate a recent complaint about water contamination in one tank provided by US EPA for agricultural purposes in the Shiprock, New Mexico area," the report said.

At the president's behest, Navajo police seized three of the tanks to use as evidence, and independent analysis of the water quality is being sought.

The water tanks were delivered Friday.

Navajo president, Shiprock leaders incensed at dirty crop, livestock water delivered by EPA contractor | KOB.com


"It is not the normal conduct of our community to challenge the government," Ben told the Guardian. "But I was brought on board to protect the natural resources of the Navajo Nation."

Begaye said some farmers, out of desperation, gave their animals some of the water to drink and irrigated crops such as alfalfa, watermelon and corn.

As a result, he said crops and Navajo land are now tainted with the oily substance.

Navajo farmers have just five months to raise crops for subsistence or barter. This yield has to support them and their families for the entire year.

"Now they are likely to lose all of that," Begaye said.

The incident builds on mistrust among the Navajo community. Since a toxic spill delivered mine waste containing high levels of lead, arsenic and other heavy metals, to waterways from Colorado's Animas River to the San Juan River that passes through Shiprock, Begaye has expressed public outrage at the EPA's inconsistent public information about the spill.

In a video posted on his Facebook page earlier this week, Begaye said he would not drink the water in Cement Creek near Gold King Mine despite assurances it was safe, after he dipped a cup in the creek and brought out yellow-colored water.

In another video posted on his Facebook page from Shiprock on Wednesday, Begaye demonstrates how his finger became streaked in black when he wiped an opening to one of the water tanks.

"This is what they expect our animals to drink?" he asked.

Following data collected from 7 to 15 August near Hogback, New Mexico, the EPA says the San Juan River's water quality in the Navajo Nation has returned to pre-spill conditions.

"EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye had a productive phone conversation on August 19 to review water quality data," the statement reads.

Begaye announced on Thursday that he would reopen the river on Saturday. But he says his decision was based on data collected by the Navajo Nation's own environmental protection agency.

He wants to reassure Navajo farmers the agency will continue to closely monitor three different irrigation systems for signs of heavy metals once the river is reopened, and will immediately shut them down if necessary.

"We don't trust the EPA," he said.

Published on Aug 21, 2015
PLEASE! Get this out to the people of the Navajo Nation, to the people of Colorado + New Mexico, to state representatives, and NATIONAL Government (Senators and Congressmen).

Full website post covering this story with all the links shown in the video here:
Dutchsince

I stand behind these findings , and the people of the Navajo Nation need to compare the Animas river pollution to oil well / fracking wastewater injection chemicals IMMEDIATELY.

This wastewater delivery looks like an attempt to spread the chemicals on purpose -- to cover up the wastewater in the Animas coming from the nearby Oil / Gas / Wastewater disposal wells located all around Durango Colorado (each well containing millions of gallons of toxic water . Thousands of wells nearby the location in question).

In my assessment, most likely one of the wastewater injection wells gave way, since NASA / NOAA are already studying the same area due to a HUGE methane leak causing a pocket of methane over the whole 4 corners region.

This same "leaking" injection well operation is now the area where the Animas river has been polluted. The "Gold Mine" story might just be that -- a STORY made up.. not based in actual reality.
--------------
Fracking wastewater injection wells are quite possibly the REAL cause of this waste spill by the EPA since the area is leaking methane to the point where NASA / NOAA are studying the area currently (2015).

Massive leaks in the huge fracking / oil pumping operation have been detected.. thus if gas is leaking from these wells, no doubt the waste water which they inject under pressure is also being released.

I'm venturing a guess that if the water in the Animas was tested , and you looked for oil pumping / gas well operation chemcials .. that you'd find out a giant WASTEWATER DISPOSAL WELL must have broke when the EPA was inspecting it.

Was it a Gold mine, or was it a large wastewater disposal well?

Since there are THOUSANDS of wastewater disposal wells, oil wells, and frack wells , and only ONE Gold Mine .. the chances of this giant release of wastewater coming from a wastewater well are much higher than a "Gold Mine" being the culprit.

One culprit cannot be sued, or blamed (the Old Gold Mine).. the OTHER culprit (the fracking injection well / oil pumping operations) are capable of being legally held responsible.

Could it be that they sent these polluted tanks of water in the hopes the Indians would spread it out across their land, and then the EPA would have an excuse for all the fracking / oil pumping injection chemicals to be across the Animas river?!

People in the Indian reservations need to immediately compare the Animas pollution water to known Oil / Gas well drilling injection chemicals.

I'd be willing to bet that we'd find out this "spill" is from a fracking / injection / wastewater operation as opposed to an "old gold mine".

Why are NASA / NOAA out in the same area studying leaking gas wells? I think it is obvious the two are related.


Professor Doom's video:

Published on Aug 21, 2015
I placed a call to the EPA regarding the trucks used to deliver water to the Navajo Nation that had OIL residue inside the tanks. Gold King Mine fiasco was also covered in this conversation.

Operation Yellow Water - YouTube

Published on Aug 21, 2015
The Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management responded within twenty-four hours activating "Operation Yellow Water" to the accident of the San Juan River which runs through the Navajo Nation on August 7, 2015.

On August 8, 2015, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye, signed a Declaration of State of Emergency ordering the Navajo Nation Divisions to respond to the "Gold King Mine Toxic Water Contamination" near Silverton, Colorado.

Governor Drinks Contaminated River Water But Tells Public "Not Safe to Drink Even Before Disaster"

Mac Slavo
August 14th, 2015
SHTFplan.com

It wasn't, but it may well have been Fukushima all over again. The full truth will never be told about the level of contaminants spilled into the river.

Maybe the stakes aren't as high as the meltdown that continues to threaten ocean life and the planet, but the pattern is the same.

After Fukushima, a Japanese MP was apparently under pressure to drink potentially radioactive water collected from the failed nuclear plant to make the delicate case that all is well and that the water is safe to drink. In spite of the truth, he gulped it down. Really, watch the video.

He didn't look too confident, though.

Government stooges will go the distance to cover-up for their crooked, fascist business partners.

No matter how bad the problem is. Every time.

This time, it is the Gov. Hickenlooper of Colorado, in a stunt he may well regret.

Then again, maybe not, as he has apparently also swallowed fracking water.

CBS Denver reports:

Gov. John Hickenlooper drinks from the Animas River (credit: Durango Herald)

But the point was deliberately contradictory – and deceptive.

The governor drank, but noted that he  purified the water for the stunt... all while advising the public AGAINST drinking the water, because river water is 'never safe to drink.'

Instead, he claims the river is safe only for rafting and similar purposes, reiterating that the public should not drink river water at all. The water was back to 'pre-incident' levels... as if no spill took place... but is still not safe for drinking.

So why did Gov. Hickenlooper drink that stuff if it wasn't safe to drink? Did he even really drink THAT water?

It seems like a mixed message at best.

Apparently, it was all just a ploy for disaster management.

Never mind reality. Just pretend that everything is under control.

And that nonsense, after the EPA was brought under suspicion by an op-ed published beforehand that predicted the EPA would trigger its own disaster at the river site in order to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for a Superfund site.

Zero Hedge reported:

What is really going on with this carefully staged environmental disaster?

And what is going unnoticed here?

From Fukushima, to the BP oil spill, to the Animas River, officials could not fail harder at protecting the public, and yet they laugh all the way to the bank every time, while the public remains at risk and without proper information about the full extent of what has really happened.

As MillionDollarBonus comments:

As a rule, I never indulge conspiracy theories. Occam's Razor states that a simple explanation is more likely to be true than a complicated explanation. Conspiracy theorists always jump to the most complicated conclusion, instead of accepting the most obvious one.

This instance is no exception: isn't it more plausible that this was just an honest mistake?

To my knowledge the Environmental Protection Agency has virtually no record of misconduct up until this incident, so I don't see how they could possibly be up to something so devious.

"...the Environmental Protection Agency has virtually no record of misconduct up until this incident."

Just what EPA is this troll talking about?

The EPA's Orange River Conspiracy - FITSNews

Romance In Obamaland: The EPA And The NRDC's Beyond-Cozy Conspiracy | The Daily Caller

More on EPA misconduct and bad science–an analysis of the junk | JunkScience.com

Ellinghuysen.com - 08/03/15 - EPA. Secrecy & Misconduct

EPA Facts | Administrative Misconduct

Oversight rips EPA on employee misconduct | TheHill

EPA's Problems Run Deeper than Employee Misconduct | U.S. Chamber of Commerce


And another comment:

lordylord2

"isn't it more plausible that this was just an honest mistake?"
This isn't a mistake.  This is incompetence and negligence.  People at the EPA need to go to jail for this and pay fines out of their own pockets.

Also, please don't use "honest" to describe anything .gov does.

And another from Supernova Born:

An environmental catastrophe splashed across the West to further the bankster's anti-gold propaganda.

"A mine named The Gold King poisons drinking water across the western US in the midst of an epic drought."

Sounds scripted by the most powerful there are.

[Shasta56]

The EPA and the mine owners, all the mine owners, we're aware of the possibility of such an event years before it happened.  Environmental protection was not a factor when the mines opened, and were active, but all the mine owners knew that crap was leaching into the ground.  They tried to dam the mines, for all the good it did.

Shasta