Animas River reopens after mine waste spill

SILVERTON, Colo. – Nine days after 3 million gallons of mine waste spilled into the Animas River, Colorado officials, with the support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, reopened the waterway in La Plata County to recreation and signed off on some farmers using its water for irrigation.

The river was closed on Aug. 6, a day after toxic water poured out of the Gold King Mine near Silverton in southwest Colorado, sending a plume of water colored bright yellow from heavy metals.

The nearby town of Durango relies heavily on tourism, and kayaking outfitters and fishing guides had to tell customers the river was off-limits. The wastewater was unleashed while the EPA was working on a cleanup operation of the defunct gold mine.

The contaminated water continued south and flowed into the San Juan River in New Mexico, putting farmers and ranchers at risk.

But by Friday the water had returned to pre-incident levels, meaning the level of metals like lead and cadmium were no longer potentially toxic, said David Ostrander, area commander for the Unified EPA Area Command.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment warned people not to drink untreated water from the river, to wash their hands and clothes if they come into contact with the river and to avoid areas with discolored water.