Is the Animas River still polluted?
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Is the Animas River still polluted?
But it’s a slow process, and the river is in many ways still in recovery from the decades of mining near Silverton that produced gold, silver and uranium among metals and a seemingly endless flow of pollution that is still dogging the Animas watershed.
How did the Animas River get polluted?
The government scientists sampled river water, milk from cows that drank the water, and crops that were irrigated with river water for 75 miles downstream from the mill. They found that the Animas River was polluted with chemical and radioactive materials.
What kind of pollution was the Gold King Mine spill?
It is estimated that acidic water spilled at a rate of 500–700 US gal/min (1.9–2.6 m3/min) while remediation efforts were underway. The event drew attention to toxic drainage from many similar abandoned mines throughout the country.
Who was responsible for cleaning up the Gold King Mine spill?
DENVER — The State of Colorado and the federal government reached an agreement Friday with a mining company on who’s responsible for paying for cleanup of the Gold King Mine – more than six years after 3 million gallons of acidic waste spilled from the site. Under the agreement, the Sunnyside Gold Corp.
Why is the Animas River so muddy?
Sandstone and limestone rock formations in Hermosa Basin have led to yellow or gold coloration in the Animas River. Red Mountain is high in iron oxide. “That’s nothing more than rust,” Churchwell said. “When we get rain on the mountain, we get sediment in the creeks and the Animas.”
Why was the water from the Gold King Mine spill so brown in color?
And then the Animas River, which runs through Durango, changed color and news crews from across the country descended upon southwest Colorado and the Four Corners region. The reason the water was orange has to do with how mining exposes sulfide-rich rock to air and water.
How was the Gold King mine spill cleaned up?
As water exits the mine, the water flows into a system of four treatment ponds. The treatment ponds provide retention time to allow the addition of lime to neutralize the pH. Substances to treat water are added during the process to settle the metals to the bottom of the retention ponds.
Why is the Animas River Green?
According to officials, the recent color of the Animas River is a result of typical monsoonal conditions. With snowmelt all but complete and monsoons in full swing, residents can expect periodic discoloration of the Animas River, a public health official said Thursday.
Why did Animas River turn yellow?
How was the Gold King Mine spill cleaned?
Why did the Animas River turn orange?
— — The Animas River in Colorado has turned orange as a toxic spill continues to flow downstream and through to other states. A team of workers with the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally released 3 million gallons of waste water from the Gold King Mine in Silverton, Colorado, on Aug.
Why is the Animas River Brown?
The water was a cloudy brown color with bits of suspended, charred debris. Sediment and ash from the 416 Fire piles up along the banks of Hermosa Creek, a tributary of the Animas River. The Animas began the summer with record low water because of drought and a warm winter.
Is there gold in the Animas River?
As you might expect, the Animas River that flows from the high country in Silverton has gold throughout. Even all the way down to Durango can produce a bit of “color” in the bottom of your pan.
What caused the Gold King Mine spill?
The Gold King Mine spill occurred at the Gold King Mine—an abandoned mine near Silverton, Colorado—in August 2015. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) personnel and a company under EPA contract triggered the release of toxic wastewater in an attempt to remove such wastewater from the mine.
How radioactive is the Animas River?
They found that the Animas River was polluted with chemical and radioactive materials. Water, mud and algae samples taken two miles below the mill were 100 to 500 times more radioactive than the control samples taken above the mill.
What happened to the Animas River?
The government scientists sampled river water, milk from cows that drank the water, and crops that were irrigated with river water for 75 miles downstream from the mill. They found that the Animas River was polluted with chemical and radioactive materials.
Why is the Animas River Orange?
A 2015 spill that turned the waterway orange is a reminder of mining’s disastrous legacy. “The farmers along the Animas River are sitting down and permitting the waters of that river to be so tainted and polluted as that soon it will merit the name of Rio de las Animas Perdidas, given it by the Spaniards.
Why was the Animas River Culvert built?
The culvert had been built to divert the Animas’ floodwaters under the highway that led to Durango, five miles to the south, but to a 6-year-old boy, it felt like the gates to the underworld.
