I salute The Durango Herald for its series about toxic metals that get into the Animas River from Silverton mines (Aug. 4, 5 and 6). The issue is increasing toxic metals flowing into the Animas from mines that overflow into Cement Creek, which flows through the center of Silverton. These toxins have more than doubled in a short period of time killing large populations of fish and aquatic insects far downstream in the Animas.
A spokesman for the water district informed me that Durango only gets a significant portion of water from the Animas in the summer. “Like now?” I said. I then asked if the treatment plant removed toxic metals, and he replied in the negative. I asked for a report on the most recent analysis of water, and I am still waiting.
Most of the Silverton people want a stakeholder group to handle the problem instead of making it an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. This has virtually no chance of acquiring sufficient funds. By the way, Silverton gets its drinking water from a source above the mines.
Please, city and county officials, address this issue now that the all-important plastic bag problem is solved. This is a Durango issue much more than one for Silverton. Bottled water, anyone?
Daniel R. Halseth
Durango
