gold king mine
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Supreme Court asks US government’s view on mine spill suit
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The U.S. Supreme Court asked the Justice Department on Monday to weigh in on New Mexico’s lawsuit against Colorado over a mine waste spill that polluted rivers in both states and in Utah. The court asked the Office of the Solicitor General to submit the Obama administration’s views on the lawsuit. The solicitor general represents…
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US declines prosecution of government worker in mine spill
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U.S. prosecutors have declined to pursue criminal charges against an employee of the Environmental Protection Agency over a massive mine wastewater spill that fouled rivers in three states, a federal watchdog agency said. The EPA’s Office of Inspector General disclosed Wednesday that it recently presented evidence to prosecutors that the unnamed employee may have violated…
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New Mexico water officials eye pipeline to Colorado lake
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A water commission is eyeing a possible pipeline from a Colorado lake to northern New Mexico. San Juan Water Commission members will meet in October to decide if they want to seek a conceptual design for the pipeline at an estimated cost of $10,000 to $15,000, the Daily Times reported. Further study could cost up to $250,000.…
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Colorado town on verge of big changes amid Superfund cleanup
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A historic Colorado mountain town is on the threshold of a transformation after the federal government announced it will embark on an ambitious campaign to stanch the flow of acidic wastewater cascading from abandoned mines. The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday designated an area north of Silverton as a Superfund site, clearing the way for a multimillion-dollar…
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U.S. clears way for cleanup of Gold King mine after huge spill
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A Colorado mine that spewed 3 million gallons of contaminated wastewater into rivers in three Western states was designated a Superfund site Wednesday, clearing the way for a multimillion-dollar federal cleanup. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency formally added the inactive Gold King Mine and 47 other nearby mining-related sites to the Superfund list. It also included nine…
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Officials: Gold King mine spill didn’t affect drinking water
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New Mexico officials say the massive mine waste spill in southwestern Colorado last year did not impact the quality of drinking water for most San Juan County residents. The Farmington Daily Times reports that the New Mexico Environment Department’s Drinking Water Bureau informed the Gold King Mine Citizens’ Advisory Committee that though San Juan County public…
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Navajo Nation sues feds over massive Gold King mine waste spill
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Leaders of one of the nation’s largest American Indian tribes blasted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as their attorneys sued Tuesday, claiming negligence in the cleanup of a massive mine waste spill that tainted rivers in three Western states. Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye stood on the bank of the San Juan River in northwestern…
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Navajo Nation plans to sue over massive Gold King mine waste spill
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One of the nation’s largest American Indian tribes is planning to sue over damages caused by a massive mine waste spill in southwestern Colorado. Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye, Navajo Attorney General Ethel Branch and other tribal officials will announce Tuesday that they have directed their attorneys to file a lawsuit over what they describe as…
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Criminal investigation underway into Gold King mine spill
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The Environmental Protection Agency’s internal watchdog says there is an ongoing criminal investigation into last year’s massive wastewater spill from an abandoned Colorado gold mine. The EPA’s Office of Inspector General sent letters to members of Congress saying it couldn’t answer some questions about its review of the Gold King Mine spill without jeopardizing a criminal investigation…
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Hickenlooper, state lawmakers continue to push Congress for Good Samaritan bill
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Lawmakers at the federal level may not be much help, but the EPA and Colorado officials are working well together to fix the century-old mining mess above Silverton that continues to leak waste water into local streams, according to the town administrator. “That [Aug. 5] accident is going to allow this problem to be properly…
