HEALTH

A river runs yellow: Mine waste colors the Animas River

By Fox News
Published | Updated

A warning sign from the city is displayed in front of the Animas River as orange sludge from a mine spill upstream flows past Berg Park in Farmington, N.M., Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015. About 1 million gallons of wastewater from Colorado's Gold King Mine began spilling into the Animas River on Wednesday when a cleanup crew supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally breached a debris dam that had formed inside the mine. The mine has been inactive since 1923. (Alexa Rogals/The Daily Times via AP) (AP)

Alex Coca, a scientist with the New Mexico Environment Department, checks over paperwork before placing a jug of water on a table for testing at San Juan County's Lee Acres Sheriff's substation in Farmington, N.M., Monday, Aug. 10, 2015. A crew supervised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been blamed for causing a wastewater spill at an abandoned mine in Colorado that sent water laced with heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, downstream to the New Mexico municipalities of Aztec, Farmington and Kirtland over the weekend. (Alexa Rogals/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (AP)

The Animas River is still flowing with toxic waste from the Gold King Mine on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015, as seen from the 32nd Street Bridge in Durango, Colo., as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train goes by. (Jerry McBride/The Durango Herald via AP) (AP)

Andy Corra, left, co-owner of 4 Corners Riversports in Durango, Colo., talks with Colorado U.S. Sens., Cory Gardner, front right, and Michael Bennet, middle right, on a bridge over the Animas River, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015. in Durango. An Environmental Protection Agency official said Sunday she doesn't believe wildlife will suffer significant health impacts from the large volume of wastewater that spilled from a nearby abandoned mine. (Jerry McBride/The Durango Herald via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (AP)

Kim Cofman and her daughters Acacia, 12, left, and Cayenne, 14, try to stir up sludge from the Gold King Mine that covers the bottom the Animas River on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015, in Durango, Colo., near the 32nd Street Bridge but find the only way to disturb it is to dig into the yellow muck. Toxic waste is still flowing from the Gold King Mine. (Jerry McBride/The Durango Herald via AP) (AP)

Bottles of water from people's homes are set out for testing at San Juan County's Lee Acres Sheriff's substation in Farmington, N.M., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2015. A crew supervised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been blamed for causing a wastewater spill while attempting to clean up the area near an abandoned mine in Colorado. Water laced with heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, reached the New Mexico municipalities of Aztec, Farmington and Kirtland over the weekend. (Alexa Rogals/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (AP)

Citizens fill out paper work and drop off water from their ditches, wells, and ponds during water testing at San Juan County's Lee Acres Sheriff's substation in Farmington, N.M. on Monday, Aug. 10, 2015. A crew supervised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been blamed for causing a wastewater spill at an abandoned mine in Colorado last week. Water laced with heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, reached the New Mexico municipalities of Aztec, Farmington and Kirtland over the weekend. (Alexa Rogals/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (AP)

Onlookers view the Animas River from a bridge as orange sludge from a mine spill upstream flows past Berg Park in Farmington, N.M., Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015. About 1 million gallons of wastewater from Colorado's Gold King Mine began spilling into the Animas River on Wednesday when a cleanup crew supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally breached a debris dam that had formed inside the mine. The mine has been inactive since 1923. (Alexa Rogals/The Daily Times via AP) (AP)

Ducks wade in the Animas River as orange sludge from a mine spill upstream flows past Berg Park in Farmington, N.M., Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015. About 1 million gallons of wastewater from Colorado's Gold King Mine began spilling into the Animas River on Wednesday when a cleanup crew supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally breached a debris dam that had formed inside the mine. The mine has been inactive since 1923( Alexa Rogals/The Daily Times via AP) (AP)

A jar of water from a ditch is brought in for testing at San Juan County's Lee Acres Sheriff's substation in Farmington, N.M., on Monday, Aug. 10, 2015. A crew supervised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been blamed for causing a wastewater spill while attempting to clean up the area near an abandoned mine in Colorado. Water laced with heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, reached the New Mexico municipalities of Aztec, Farmington and Kirtland over the weekend. (Alexa Rogals/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (AP)

Scott Roberts, an aquatic biologist with Mountain Studies Institute, collects insects out of the Animas River, in Durango Colo., on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, to check on their health. MSI has been keeping an eye on the insects starting just before and during the toxic minerals that came down the river from the Gold King Mine on Wednesday. (Jerry McBride/The Durango Herald via AP) (AP)