NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – State environmental experts are keeping a close eye on the Upper Animas River after it turned orange in southwest Colorado. They said the federal Environmental Protection Agency entered the Natalie Occidental mine for a routine inspection on Thursday, disturbing the sediment and sending it into Cement Creek, which feeds into the Animas. It appears the discoloration was contained to the Silverton, Colorado area.
The New Mexico Environment Department does not expect any negative effects on the water quality. “When you think of a monsoon storm event that happens here and that water comes down and lifts the sediment, and it looks brown and cloudy, that’s probably the same type of scenario that happened up there,” said Shelly Lemon, Surface Water Quality Bureau Chief, New Mexico Environment Department.
The department said it is not linked to the Gold King Mine, which spilled toxic wastewater into the Animas River a decade ago.
