Southern Ute Tribe Declares Disaster Over Mining Spill in Animas River

The Animas River, orange coloured as a result of contamination from gold mine waste water spill. Photo: CNN.

Indian Country Today, August 13, 2015

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the first to watch a 100-mile-long plume of toxic mining sludge flow through their reservation in the Animas River, has declared a state of local disaster.

“The cost and magnitude of responding to and recovery from the impact of the water contamination from the Gold King Mine Animas River Spill, caused by the EPA on August 5, 2015 is far in excess of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s available resources,” the tribe said in its declaration.