There’s a lot of spin going on regarding the release of toxic tailings into the headwaters of the Animas River. As one example, a bioassay determined that the release did not kill any fish, and that this is a cause for optimism.
Well, fact is that heavy metals do not typically kill fish. But they do mess them up big time. First, the heavy metals will settle into the stream substrate (bottom). Fish take in heavy metals through their gills. From there, the heavy metals go to the circulatory system, finally concentrating in the kidneys and livers. The fish are alive but are very unhealthy – so unhealthy that they are not safe to eat – not for people or predators.
From the steam bottom up through the food chain, the concentrations of heavy metals bio-accumulate – get progressively higher. As an example, let’s say an osprey regularly eats fish from the Animas. The bio-accumulation of heavy metals will become higher in the raptor than in the fish that the raptor eats. As an impact, egg failure could occur during nesting.
Just one example of what could result from heavy-metal deposition into the bottom of the Animas.
By any measure, the release into the headwaters of the Animas was an ecological disaster. Ultimately, accountability is to be laid to the Silverton city officials who, suffering from “Jaws syndrome,” for years opposed designation of the abandoned Silverton mines as Superfund sites. Had the mines been categorized as Superfund, they would have been cleaned up long ago!
Tom Wright
Aztec
