Window Rock – In a letter sent to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, President Russell Begaye requested that the Upper Animas Mining District be listed as a “Superfund Site” pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CECLA).This designation on the National Priorities List will make EPA funding and resources available to remove and contain the long-standing risks to human health and the environment posed by the historic mining activities in the area. As the Gold King Mine spill demonstrated, the over 300 abandoned hard rock mines pose a serious public health threat.
“It is well past time for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to step in and remediate the site in a meaningful manner to protect downstream communities,” wrote President Begaye. “The first step in this process is to list the Upper Animas Mining District on the NPL. This will provide much needed funding and technical assistance to responsibly address the threats posed by the District.”
In addition to the Gold King Mine spill, President Begaye also pointed out that in the 1990s the EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment conducted a Superfund Site Assessment of the District and determined that “water quality standards were not achieved.” In 2008 the EPA performed another NPL assessment on the Upper Cement Creek area and confirmed, “that the area would qualify for inclusion.”
“The chemicals found in the District pose a significant human health risk,” said President Begaye. “The health and well-being of the region should be of primary importance to the EPA. The time has come for the Upper Animas Mining District to be given NPL status.”
President Begaye’s Full Letter Below