Blaming this accidental spill on the Environmental Protection Agency (and the associated on-scene cleanup team) is like saying “it’s the fireman’s fault for not saving my home during a forest fire.” The EPA works in dangerous conditions every day and with possible exposure to the very toxins they are removing from the polluted water entering our rivers. Unfortunately, they cannot always be successful when they are trying to save an area from an inevitable disaster.

Before blaming the EPA, why don’t you ask how many successful cleanups have been completed over the past 25 years? And why was the EPA at the Gold King Mine in the first place? Because the mine was already discharging toxins into the river for many years before this incident. Like firefighters going into a forest fire, the EPA still goes into these situations with the best intentions for a successful outcome.

And what about all the mining owners and companies who have made their money on any particular mine in Colorado and the seven other states this EPA region supports, and then the mining companies file bankruptcy and abandon the mines for the state or federal government to clean up? And why do states allow mining companies to re-open old mines without properly estimating the true cost of the initiative (including cleanup efforts, which are always part of a mining effort)?

The EPA didn’t have the support from the local governments, which resulted in inadequate funding for this cleanup. The EPA crew was then forced to perform short-term mitigation steps rather than first declaring the area a Superfund site which would have supported the large scale cleanup effort needed for this situation.

Those with potential to improve or resolve this situation should take a moment to support those individuals who put their lives on the line day in and day out to help keep our water, environment and communities safe from any source of pollution.

Gen Spangler

Littleton