The Las Animas River nested in Durango, Colorado is such a beautiful yet legendary place. According to the old legend, explorers during the Spanish exploration period have found empty ancestral tombstones in the area. The ruins had scared the explorers, leading them to name the nearby river 'Rio de Las Animas Perdidas' or 'River of Lost Souls.'
The river is the cultural center of South Western Colorado. Year after year, the place is visited by locals as well as foreign visitors and tourists. The visitors to the area usually go rafting and kayaking. Couples even set the river bank as wedding venues, and school children also get to learn more about the river on trips.
Unfortunately, since last Wednesday, the Animas River has been dangerously contaminated with toxic water leaking from one of the numerous abandoned mines in Colorado. The spill is said to be a claimed responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency. The E.P.A. has also said that it was an accidental phenomenon brought about by the chemical-laced water.
According to a news report by the New York Times, the spill started last Wednesday when the Environmental Protection Agency was investigating a leak from the Gold King Mine. The wastewater flowed into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas River in Southwestern Colorado, and snaked through the river toward New Mexico.
It was then immediately confirmed by an E.P.A. official that the leak carries heavy metals, including lead and arsenic. However, there is no confirmation yet if the chemicals are harmful to animal or human health. The wastewater was said to amount to one million gallons, a volume that's enough to turn the river into a murky, mustard shade of yellow. The officials are working hard to clean up the spilled wastewater.
In another report by the New York Times last Sunday, anger has arisen anew after the E.P.A. declared that the amount of toxic water released was three times more than was previously stated. It was not one million but actually three million gallons of toxic spillage. The officials were still reportedly unsure if this new volume was now a threat to human or animal health.
State Senator Ellen Roberts cried softly during the day of the announcement. She stated that: "It is not just a scenic destination. It is where people literally raise their children. It is where the farmers and ranchers feed their livestock, which in turn feeds the people. We're isolated from Denver through the mountains, and we are pretty resourceful people. But if you take away our water supply, we're left with virtually no way to move forward."
The public was left an assurance that the E.P.A. will do everything they can do to provide information regarding any health risks brought about by the spilled water. They are just waiting for the analyzed test results to come out and show whether the water is safe or not.
