13 Months After Spill, Colorado's Gold King Mine Named Superfund Site

"Thirteen months after an Environmental Protection Agency mistake sent millions of gallons of bright orange wastewater into a Colorado river, the agency has declared the Gold King Mine and 47 other locations in the region Superfund sites, Colorado Public Radio reports.

"The Environmental Protection Agency accidentally spilled 3 million gallons of orange wastewater when studying the mine in August 2015. Many mines in the area drain thousands of gallons of water laced with heavy metals every day. Clean-up in the area is highly complex, and expensive."

Sites in California, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Texas and West Virginia also were added to the Superfund list Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.

Officials told CPR that the cleanup will cost millions of dollars and take years or even decades."

Christopher Dean Hopkins reports for NPR September 8, 2016.

SEE ALSO:

"US Clears Way For Cleanup Of Colorado Mine After Huge Spill" (AP)