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ARTICLE · 09 AUGUST 2016

One Year After The Gold King Mine Wastewater Release – What Is The Status?

Fox Rothschild LLP
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As you may recall, on August 5, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") was conducting an investigation into the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado when approximately 3 million gallons of mine wastewater spilled into Cement Creek,

United StatesEnvironment
Melissa Lyon
Melissa Lyon
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Originally published August 5, 2016

Today is the one year anniversary of the Gold King Mine wastewater release incident....

As you may recall, on August 5, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") was conducting an investigation into the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado when approximately 3 million gallons of mine wastewater spilled into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas River, over a period of about eight days. The wastewater release flowed down the Animas River to the San Juan River.

The wastewater was "acidic, mine-influenced water," according to the EPA, and the released waters cascaded through three states (Colorado, Utah and New Mexico) and three American Indian reservations (Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Navajo Nation).

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