Durango, CO – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement on the six month anniversary of the Gold King Mine Spill:
“Six months ago today more than 3 million gallons of contaminated water from the Gold King Mine spilled into the Animas and San Juan rivers, turning the water a bright orange. The spill damaged the environment, hurt the local economy, and jeopardized the health and safety of communities downstream.
“It reminded Washington of the stark facts Coloradans already knew: there are thousands of abandoned mines across the west, and hundreds in Colorado are leaking acid mine drainage into our water. They need to be cleaned up to prevent this from happening again.
“We remain committed to working with the community to help mitigate the effects of the spill and make sure the EPA reimburses tribes, local governments and communities for the costs they incurred. And we’ll also keep up the pressure on the EPA to put in place an adequate long-term water monitoring plan.
“We are also working with all of the affected communities, the State, and the EPA to determine if they can secure a Superfund designation that has community support. While the Superfund process continues we have pushed the EPA to use the temporary water treatment plant to treat more of the acid mine drainage in Upper Cement Creek.
“We are also committed to continue working with Senator Gardner and Congressman Tipton to introduce a Good Samaritan bill to allow groups like Trout Unlimited to cleanup sites, and urge Congress to pass our bill to reform the 1872 mining law to bring it into the 21st century.”