Work will soon begin on several projects to restore some areas damaged in the 2015 Gold King Mine blowout, which released millions of gallons of water laced with toxic metals and acidic waste into the Animas and San Juan rivers near Silverton, Colo.
The $1 million in restoration work is part of the $11 million settlement New Mexico reached last year with Sunnyside Gold Corp. and its two parent companies.
The enormous toxic spill turned the two rivers a bright yellow as they flowed through Colorado and New Mexico. The San Juan carried contaminants through Navajo Nation and all the way to Lake Powell in Utah.
It compelled municipalities to close intakes for drinking water systems, prompted many farmers to stop irritating and discouraged recreation on the rivers. New Mexico, local governments and tribal nations incurred hefty costs cleaning up the contamination.
“We know the people who live on the San Juan and Animas rivers have been waiting a long time to be compensated for what they went through,” State Natural Resources Trustee Maggie Hart Stebbins said. “It just feels great to have that process underway.”
- San Juan County to build the Cedar Hill Boat Ramp on the Animas River.
- The city of Farmington to build the Festival and Farmers Market Pavilion at Gateway Park.
- The San Juan County Soil and Water Conservation District to implement a soil restoration project in the San Juan Valley.
- The Tse Daa Kaan Chapter of Navajo Nation to upgrade its irrigation system.
The proposed restorations went through a recent 30-day public comment period. The only addition to the original draft plan was for San Juan County to provide more security and sanitation at the boat ramp site, Hart Stebbins said.
The other $10 million in the settlement covers environmental response costs and lost tax revenue, among other things.
Sunnyside Gold oversaw construction of the bulkheads that led to mines filling with acidic water.
State officials also blame the US Environmental Protection Agency because its workers and contractors caused the spill while trying to drain ponds near the mine’s entrance.
The state sued the EPA and its contractors, alleging gross negligence, nuisance and trespassing, as well as violations of federal environmental laws.
In February, state and federal officials agreed to settle the lawsuit and put the litigation on hold for 90 days while they worked out the terms.
Some money from the EPA settlement will go to northwestern New Mexico communities for agriculture and outdoor recreation, partly to ease the stigma the spill caused in that region, state officials said in a news release.
It will cover some of New Mexico’s costs responding to the spill. And it will pay the state to restore and conserve river and land habitats, monitor water quality, and clean up pollution to protect drinking water.
“The settlement will mark a turning point for our people, our communities and our environment,” State Environment Secretary James Kenney said in a statement. “While we will never forget this tragedy, this settlement will continue to help us rebuild a robust economy in northwest New Mexico while protecting our fragile environment in this region.”
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