EPA Knew About “Blowout Risk” on Animas River

EPA Animas spillBy Joshua Krause

Several weeks after the EPA spilled 3 million gallons of toxic mine water into the Animas River, they’ve finally released some of their internal documents on the matter. According to AP, these documents reveal that the EPA was well aware of the risks associated with the Gold King Mine. A work order for a cleanup in June of 2014, made light of the fact that part of the mine entrance had collapsed.

The report reads:

This condition has likely caused impounding of water behind the collapse…In addition, other collapses within the workings may have occurred creating additional water impounding conditions. Conditions may exist that could result in a blowout of the blockages and cause a release of large volumes of contaminated mine waters and sediment from inside the mine, which contain concentrated heavy metals.”

Much of the document’s text is redacted, and still doesn’t provide any answers to what happened before or after the spill, and doesn’t explain why the EPA didn’t immediately warn local officials of the toxic water pouring into the Animas river.

Also unanswered, are the questions and accusations surrounding the Superfund controversy, and the possibility that the EPA may have deliberately sabotaged the mine to secure more tax dollars.

Joshua Krause is a reporter, writer and researcher at The Daily Sheeple. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and is a freelance writer and author. You can follow Joshua’s reports at Facebook or on his personal Twitter. Joshua’s website is Strange Danger.


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4 Comments on "EPA Knew About “Blowout Risk” on Animas River"

  1. Abandoned is such a silly word to use for this sort of corporate terrorism. Some bank still has an interest and some insurance company too, but the laws they purchased to cover this crime was provided by some living judge too. Poison all you want now it is capitalism in action.

  2. It’s the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The Army Corps of Engineers tried twice to build up the levies to protect New Orleans, once in 1977 and again in 1996 but were threatened by “we believe” statements and EPA lawsuit by Non Governmental Organizations. There was no credible evidence in support of the lawsuits, just hype and public ignorance. The hardworking American taxpayer paid $220 billion to rebuild NO. Goes to show you how stupid people are when they don’t want to fortify the levies to protect a city that’s below sea level.

  3. If I peed in the ocean, EPA would prosecute me!

  4. EPA DOES IT AGAIN !!!

    Another EPA disaster, this time in rural Georgia — August 20, 2015

    MARY LEILA COTTON MILL: “The fortress-like mill, circa 1910, later became a hazardous waste dump.
    Still reeling from a disaster it created at a Colorado gold mine, the EPA has so far avoided criticism for a similar toxic waste spill in Georgia.

    Lead in the soil at the project site is 20,000 times higher than federal levels established for drinking water, said microbiologist Dave Lewis, who was a top-level scientist during 31 years at the Environmental Protection Agency.
    The mill site contains 34 hazardous chemicals, 30 of which are on the EPA’s list of priority pollutants because of “high toxicity, persistence, lack of degradability, and harmful effects on living organisms,” Lewis wrote.

    But while the nation is transfixed by the bright orange waterways in otherwise pristine Colorado wilderness, little attention has been paid to the unfolding Greensboro disaster.” — Foxnews

    Thanks once again EPA !

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