Colorado Peak Politics
  • Featured Posts
  • The Soapbox
  • Archives

GOLD KING SPILLS, AGAIN: EPA Says Public Notification Not Part of their Protocol

Posted on August 29, 2016 by ColoradoPeakPolitics

epa simpsonsThere was another spill at the Gold King Mine last week, and true to form, the EPA didn’t tell anyone about it. It was only after the Durango Herald discovered what happened that it got any media play at all, and we’ve yet to hear a peep out of the Denver Post, “The State’s Largest Newspaper.”

The EPA says the spill was caused by rain, that they followed procedures, which apparently means the public is not to be notified.

An internal alert was sent Aug. 23 among EPA staff members and some local officials, but the EPA did not notify media and the public about the spillage.

“Cement Creek is flowing turbid and discolored due to heavy rains at the Gold King Mine Site,” Brent Maier, congressional liaison for the EPA, wrote in an email with a subject line “Gold King Mine/Cement Creek Alert.”

“This additional water has overwhelmed the recirculation pumps that normally recirculate treated water that has seeped from the sediment filter bags, as the water can contain residual treatment solids. The treated water overflowed the sediment filter bag pad for a short period of time.”

It took the EPA two hours to get the situation under control, although they have not told us how much of the yuck actually spilled or what exactly was in it — precipitated metals, lime, discharge water and solids, Kool Aid, it’s all very vague.

The EPA says the spill “never reached a level” where they needed to notify the public. Which is interesting, because neither did that major spill last year. It wasn’t until we ratted them out that the agency came clean, so to speak.

It appears the Durango Herald only learned about the event through dogged reporting, two days after the spill, after rumors spread when the head gates closed.

Two spills in one year without notifying the public, this is what we have to look forward to when the EPA begins Superfund work up there — secrets and coverups.

Kudos to the Durango Herald for doing their public service duty.

35
SHARES
ShareTweet
« STANDING ROOM ONLY: Green Party Candidate Jill Stein Wows Progressive Denver Crowd
MORE FRACTIVIST TEARS: Anti-Fracking Initiatives Fail to Make the Ballot »

Leave a comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Latest Posts

  • ON THE BALLOT: Colorado Gubernatorial Primaries Solidify
  • AND THEN THERE WERE THREE: GOP Governor’s Race Tightens as Robinson Fails to Make the Ballot
  • $PRINGTIME IN PARI$: How Hancock Blew Our Bucks
  • WAR ON THE MIDDLE CLASS: Dems Say No to 529 Plans, But Keep That Tax Cut For the CEO’s Model X
  • BARACK OBAMA HIGHWAY: Of All People, Pabon Should Recognize a Scandal

Follow Colorado Peak Politics

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on RSSFollow Us on E-mail

Pages

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
© 2011-2017 Colorado Peak Politics