. . .


How polluted is the river now?

State and federal officials say that the spike of toxins lasted about eight hours. Since then, the EPA has built four collection ponds at the mine site, where it is treating the water in order to reduce acidity levels and remove dissolved metals. Officials say the pollutants have now dissipated to the point that the river near the spill point is returning to normal water-quality levels — and is regaining its greenish-blue hue. But the contaminants will eventually settle in the river bed, and could be kicked back up during rainstorms.
How long will the pollution stick around?

Jeff Curtis, a University of British Columbia scientist and water quality expert, said he expected two waves of toxins to move downstream from the spill. The first wave comprises water-soluble pollutants, including arsenic and cadmium, freely flowing with the river's current. The second wave of less soluble materials, including lead, will settle in river basin sediment and be churned up by later rainstorms.

That means that the full impact of the spill will take years, perhaps decades to unfold, as the toxins continue to move through the ecosystem. Fish will bear the brunt of the contamination, poisons slowly accumulating in their bodies.

The effect on humans will take much longer to measure, Curtis said.

. . .

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/week-after-toxic-river-spill-impact-west-remains-unclear-n407896

Health impact of Animas River toxic spill: 'This is a real mess'



A sample finds lead level in the Animas River nearly 12,000 times higher than the acceptable level set by the EPA
It usually takes years or even decades for health problems from metals to develop

(CNN)While the mustard-yellow hue of the Animas River is fading, leading toxicologists say there could be health effects for many years to come from heavy metals such as lead and mercury that spilled into the water.

"This is a real mess," said Max Costa, chair of the department of environmental medicine at New York University School of Medicine. "These levels are shocking."Exposure to high levels of these metals can cause an array of health problems from cancer to kidney disease to developmental problems in children.

"Oh my God! Look at the lead!" said Joseph Landolph, a toxicologist at the University of Southern California, pointing to a lead level in the Animas River nearly 12,000 times higher than the acceptable level set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA accidentally spills chemicals into Colorado river


According to sampling done by the EPA on various points along the Animas River Wednesday and Thursday last week, levels of lead, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium and mercury were extremely high compared with acceptable levels set by the agency, which are technically called "maximum contaminant levels" or "action levels for treatment." One of the samples of mercury was nearly 10 times higher than the EPA acceptable levels. Samples of beryllium and cadmium were 33 times higher, and one of the arsenic levels was more than 800 times higher.

. . . .

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/10/us/animas-river-toxic-spill-colorado/index.html

Just dump the waste in a hole somewhere and forget about it. It takes money to cleanup waste, and that money goes to shareholders. That's why shareholders hate the EPA. They have to share some profit dollars with the EPA so their mess can be cleaned up.

Tenn. and NC both, within the last few years have had coal ash wastes dumped into rivers.

Here's that saying again: "Privatize the profits and socialize the costs"

Bernie will put an end to that if we let him have the power.