Animas River, Colorado - HUGE Environmental Disaster!!!

[jcazgoldchaser]

If you frequent the waters of the Animas, an EPA accident has released 1 million gallons of mining waste into the waterway.
Animas River fouled by 1 million gallons of contaminated mine water - The Denver Post

The La Plata County Sheriff's Office has closed the river from the San Juan County line – including Durango – to New Mexico. Authorities say they will re-evaluate the closure once the EPA tests are confirmed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/08/us/wastewater-spill-in-colorado-turns-a-river-yellow.html?_r=0
The EPA spilled 1 million gallons of waste water - Business Insider

Be safe out there!!

 

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[M.E.G.]

EPA KNEW OF ‘BLOWOUT’ RISK FOR TAINTED WATER AT GOLD MINE
» EPA Knew of ?Blowout? Risk For Tainted Water at Gold Mine Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

 

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[fishnfacts]

Reports are out that the EPA knew of the blow out existing. They knew there was an extreme likelihood that the release would happen. Their release to the public has been censored along with how much we were paying Environmental Restoration, the company doing the work. They knew this was going to happen and know are working on ways to put the blame elsewhere. Get ready for some more mining restrictions.

 

[cw0909]

i havent read through all the docs yet, thought i would post the pdf links
maybe save some time hunting them down

The Gold King Mine file documents:


Task Order Statement of Work
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/08-1570601.pdf

Action/Workplan
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/08-1573795_0.pdf

Site Health and Safety Plan
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/08-1573793.pdf

Cost Estimate
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/08-1573794.pdf

Work Schedule
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/08-1573792.pdf

Operational Plan
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/08-1573798.pdf

 

[goldenIrishman]

I've been wondering why the EPAs paperwork has been redacted when it's a PUBLIC RECORD! Doesn't the American public have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent? The amounts paid to the EPAs contractors are NOT something that is as important to say National Defense contractors where amounts are always hidden because of "Security".

Admitting that they knew there was a high possibility of a blow out should be the last nail in the EPAs coffin on this little fiasco, but with the way things seem to work in Washington, not a single person that was on site when the event happened will be held accountable.

If any part of this post doesn't meet with TN policy, please feel free to redact the offending parts...

 

[KevinInColorado]

I've been wondering why the EPAs paperwork has been redacted when it's a PUBLIC RECORD! Doesn't the American public have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent? The amounts paid to the EPAs contractors are NOT something that is as important to say National Defense contractors where amounts are always hidden because of "Security".

Admitting that they knew there was a high possibility of a blow out should be the last nail in the EPAs coffin on this little fiasco, but with the way things seem to work in Washington, not a single person that was on site when the event happened will be held accountable.

If any part of this post doesn't meet with TN policy, please feel free to redact the offending parts...

As part of commercial confidentiality, they have to redact the pricing detail in a quote from a private company. The total is public info but not the details as that would give unfair advantage to their competitors.

...so this is normal for government contracts/bids.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Having been a government contractor (communication and network cabling) myself Kevin, I know the bidding process all to well. It's a very cutthroat process and many people don't always play by the rules. I always won my bids by quoting the same prices I would have given a commercial or residential customer for the same work. Too many contractors inflate the bids simply because it's for the government and they've got some deep pockets. Maybe I'm just to honest at times, but I've always believed in fair pricing for my customers. Over the years I did work for everyone from Mr. and Mrs. Smith to Scientific Atlanta and the Navy and all got charged by the same bidding process.

 

[CA Gold Hunter]

Reports are out that the EPA knew of the blow out existing. They knew there was an extreme likelihood that the release would happen. Their release to the public has been censored along with how much we were paying Environmental Restoration, the company doing the work. They knew this was going to happen and know are working on ways to put the blame elsewhere. Get ready for some more mining restrictions.

They EPA must be working with ATF's playbook. Fast and Furious was working out great for them until they got caught.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Finally, some balanced, intelligent reporting on the situation:
http://www.hcn.org/articles/acid-mine-drainage-explainer-animas-pollution-epa-gold-king
...not as good as what Barry shared here of course but good.

 

[The Gilded Lens]

Finally, some balanced, intelligent reporting on the situation:
Gold King Mine water was headed for the Animas, anyway ? High Country News
...not as good as what Barry shared here of course but good.

Wow, good link, Kevin! You're right, but it's by far the best media coverage I've read! I like that it was mentioned that nature does the exact same thing in creeks and springs. It's a natural processes that is just eased by tunnels.

 

[M.E.G.]

Colorado mine owner: EPA lied in congressional hearing

Colo. mine owner says EPA lied in congressional hearing

 

[DizzyDigger]

This might sound a bit odd...but...

If the issue is the low Ph of the water, making it acidic, why
don't they just dump a couple boatloads of baking soda
in that water and raise the Ph up to a more alkali, non-acidic
level?

Baking soda is cheap, and can be brought in by rail cars before
being trucked up to the mine. Get enough of it in there and it
will solve the problem.

 

[Bonaro]

The approach would not require a multimillion dollar treatment plant and monitoring forever

 

[KevinInColorado]

This might sound a bit odd...but...

If the issue is the low Ph of the water, making it acidic, why
don't they just dump a couple boatloads of baking soda
in that water and raise the Ph up to a more alkali, non-acidic
level?

Baking soda is cheap, and can be brought in by rail cars before
being trucked up to the mine. Get enough of it in there and it
will solve the problem.

They used to have a lime field up there which the water ran thru but the BLM had it removed after the holder of the grazing rights asked them to...oops.

 

[russau]

This might sound a bit odd...but...

If the issue is the low Ph of the water, making it acidic, why
don't they just dump a couple boatloads of baking soda
in that water and raise the Ph up to a more alkali, non-acidic
level?

Baking soda is cheap, and can be brought in by rail cars before
being trucked up to the mine. Get enough of it in there and it
will solve the problem.

It works for my hot tub BUT its to much common sense for ANY GUBERMENT agency to figure out!

 

[Bonaro]

It all circles back to the fact that the mine was not a pollution source until the EPA closed it in the first place

 

[M.E.G.]

GOP lawmaker moves to impeach EPA chief McCarthy | Fox News

 

[russau]

FINEALLY THEY ARE GOING TOBE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR LIEING WAYS! I guess there is hope after all! now to corral up the rest of them lieing wacoenviromentalists!

 

[goldenIrishman]

Ok... Maybe someone can explain something to me here....

If 28 states (over half) have managed to block this expansion of the CWA, why are the courts not keeping it from taking effect in the remaining states? Just because the others didn't file suit against it? If over half the country thinks this is wrong, how can the courts allow it to go into effect in the remaining states? I thought federal laws were supposed to be the same in all states.

Getting rid of McCarthy isn't going to be easy but if nothing else this will help draw more attention to how the EPA has been exceeding their mandate on a regular basis.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Ok... Maybe someone can explain something to me here....

If 28 states (over half) have managed to block this expansion of the CWA, why are the courts not keeping it from taking effect in the remaining states? Just because the others didn't file suit against it? If over half the country thinks this is wrong, how can the courts allow it to go into effect in the remaining states? I thought federal laws were supposed to be the same in all states.

Getting rid of McCarthy isn't going to be easy but if nothing else this will help draw more attention to how the EPA has been exceeding their mandate on a regular basis.

The Federal court did grant an injunction against the power grab:

Judge Ralph R. Erickson called the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt
“inexplicable, arbitrary and devoid of a reasoned process,... The rule asserts jurisdiction over waters that are remote and intermittent waters. No evidence actually points to how these intermittent and remote wetlands have any nexus to a navigable-in-fact water”
and issued an injunction preventing the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from claiming oversight of millions of acres of land that contain small bodies of water.

The EPA decided to ignore the courts injunction:

The EPA, though, said it will only honor the injunction in the 13 states that had sued, and will move forward with the rules in the rest of the country.

They ignore congressional subpoenas, lie to congress when they do testify and ignore Federal court judgements against them.

The sad part is there has NEVER been a successful impeachment of an executive officer. It just ain't gonna happen.

Heavy Pans

 

[goldenIrishman]

Well I could make more than a few choice comments about that but the post would likely be deleted by the mods or end up so redacted that it would look like an EPA report to congress.