Impacts were minimal, no adverse effects to water quality observed<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sediment from the Natalie Occidental mine, one of the 48 included in the Bonita Peak Superfund, was sent rushing into a tributary of the Animas River, on the outskirts of Silverton, causing brief discoloration on Friday. Officials have not indicated any cause for alarm. (Durango Herald file)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Environmental Protection Agency activity dislodged rust-colored sediment from one of the mines in the Bonita Peak Superfund site late last week, sending increased mine discharge into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas River.<\/p>\n
The sediment did not appear to cause any immediate health or environmental impacts, and the discoloration seemed confined to the stretch of river running through Silverton.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was no worse than runoff from a rain event,\u201d said Chara Ragland, chairwoman of the Community Advisory Group that represents regional stakeholders.<\/p>\n
Staff from the EPA were inspecting the Natalie Occidental Mine, one of 48 locations in the Superfund cleanup effort, when the incident occurred, said Ty Churchwell, a member of the CAG.<\/p>\n
The inspection required opening a safety grate at the mine\u2019s entrance, Churchwell said. The grate, designed to keep people and animals out, had become clogged with debris and sediment, causing water to back up slightly in the tunnel. When the EPA opened the grate, the accumulated water and sediment were released.<\/p>\n
The water and the sediment were described as \u201cdirty orange,\u201d a common occurrence in the region\u2019s mining tunnels because of natural erosion and the interaction of water with iron-rich rock.<\/p>\n
Churchwell said the mine is considered a lesser source of metal loading compared with others in the basin, and the water\u2019s chemistry is not among the most toxic in the area.<\/p>\n
Many abandoned mines in the Superfund area discharge into the watershed year-round, and the Natalie Occidental has been draining water for decades.<\/p>\n
The flow of mineral-saturated water during the incident was about double the mine\u2019s normal rate, resulting in an estimated 4,800 gallons being released in about an hour, Ragland said.<\/p>\n
There was a brief increase in pH and turbidity \u2013 a measure of a liquid\u2019s cloudiness that can indicate pollutants \u2013 but the spike was less than what typically occurs during a rainstorm, she said. The discoloration in the upper Animas subsided quickly and, by the time it reached Durango, had been diluted by other water sources downstream from Silverton.<\/p>\n
The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But according to a news release from the New Mexico Environment Department \u2013 one of the few public announcements about the incident \u2013 no adverse impacts to water quality are expected.<\/p>\n
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment could not immediately be reached for comment. No mention of the incident was posted on the EPA-run Bonita Peak Mining District website.<\/p>\n
Ragland said the lack of a Colorado notice likely stems from the fact that Silverton regularly sees runoff from old mine sites and rainstorms that dislodge minerals into the watershed and create the rust-colored runoff.<\/p>\n
The community is accustomed to seeing brief changes in water color, she said, so nothing about the incident was alarming locally.<\/p>\n
In lower river states like New Mexico, such events are rarely seen and are not part of the normal landscape \u2013 which could explain why the New Mexico agency was the only one to issue a public notice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s kind of a heightened awareness,\u201d Ragland said. \u201cIt\u2019s not something that they hear about as often.\u201d<\/p>\n
The incident occurred near the anniversary of the 2015 Gold King Mine spill, which released a large volume of toxic water into the Animas River and led to the creation of the Bonita Peak site to address hazardous remnants of the region\u2019s mining history.<\/p>\n
Ragland said swift communication between upper and lower river states and involved organizations after the Natalie Occidental release reflected lessons learned from the Gold King disaster.<\/p>\n
\u201cRapid communication this time around reinforced for everybody that there is a need for ongoing communication between the upper watershed and the lower watershed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
jbowman@durangoherald.com<\/p>\n
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