What bunch of (&+*^ idiots !!!! I am at a loss for words.

They are going to be shutting down the water through the San Juan River in New Mexico which is the most important body of water for Indian Nations and here we are in the middle of Summer, and the waste will eventually make it's way to Lake Powell Utah. I truly feel sorry for the people down stream that rely on this water supply to live.

"The EPA has said the contaminants were rolling too fast to be an immediate health threat. Experts and federal environmental officials say they expect the river system to dilute the heavy metals before they pose a longer-term threat."

Sounds like this is a good argument for all miners to use when we are restricted from dredging on rivers and streams !!! in their words  the contaminants move to fast to pose an immediate health threat or any long term threat. then how can any small dredging operation cause any threat what so ever? Just asking

 

Again what ((/$ idiots. I can believe they believe stuff they spew.

Because the EPA did this there has not been a massive outcry by the public about this, but had a mining company or oil company done something like this people would be running around with their hair on fire. The people of the Navajo Nation today said it will take decades to clean, and now the water they rely on to drink, irrigate their crops, and their cattle drink is now off limits. I can only hope the EPA has at least found a way to ship in millions of gallons of clean water to make up for what those people have lost, lets see if the Indian Nation gets screwed by our Government again?

I hope the EPA gets a royal spanking and is dismissed almost entirely when new leadership steps into the White House, they have over stepped their bounds way too many times now.

I am curious how they plan to clean this up, are they now going to dredge the entire river to protect the fish? But they have told us the dredging hurts the fish, right?

You are right Peter, thats what needs to brought up in any litigation. The amount of damage this has caused or will cause for years to come, is far greater than any amount of miners dredging in any river 24 hours per day for a year or 2. They need to be cornered and asked why then if this is not going to be dangerous, then why do they go to great lengths to create restrictions. Someone needs to start posting fish kill reports, and estimates of the damage to the fisheries for years to come.

I can not possibly imagine how they can clean it up. All those people have no water. The whole Indian nation now not only has not water but their primary money and food source it gone. You can not possibly truck in enough water to make up for what is lost. And to build a pipeline would take years if you could get the US government to apporove it, i.e the EPA. what a foul up.

The EPA has a unlimited budget for cleanups because usually they sue the company to get their money back to refill their coffers. This time it is their own damn fault and they need to step up and do what is right. They have the capability to take thousands of Sweet Water Tankers, have them cleaned out, and then transport water into the Navajo Nation, and besides those our Government has tens of thousands of Water Blivets that sit on Flat bed big rigs that carry potable water.

They have the capability to at least supply water to the people effected by this disaster, the question is now, will they?

Because this is their own disaster I am sure they are going to downplay this like no tomorrow, and I seriously doubt they are going to help the people they hurt, they would rather first say the water is OK, when it is actually not.

Being a person that will take the shirt off their back to help somebody else out what angers me most is how this will effect some of the poorest and most defenseless people in our country. How they treat the Navajo Nation should be a Barometer of how our Government feels about us. I am anxiously watching their actions to see who they end up screwing the worst.

Already all the rafting and kayaking companies have had to send their crews home with no work, the fish will certainly die and the river will have to be transplanted, and anybody without a holding tank has already lost irrigation to their crops.

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and the Navajo Nation are all preparing lawsuits. If anything good can come out of this maybe it will be a fish hatchery in the Animas River to help restock the fish for decades to come, or maybe somebody will finally reel in the EPA and put a leash on that rabid dog.

Yep, there are many that are already placing the blame on mining in general.

     How should one respond to an event like this when the E.P.A. which is suppose to protect the environment commits what might be the biggest toxic spill of all time in American history? Now I know this is being called an accident. So, should the people not be as understanding as the E.P.A. was to the oil spills that have happened in the past? Maybe the E.P.A. should give back all the fine monies, after all didn't the oil companies pay for the clean ups and weren't those spills just accidents too? How about a little equal protection under the Law or is it that the King can do no wrong, ever? When the Government fines a corporation like an oil company, the corporation just passes the cost on to the consumer. Anyone who cheers when corporations are fined, just remember this, if you use that product you are the one that paid the fine/tax.

 

     Okay, as to the drinking and irrigation water. Would it not be better to filter the water on the spot rather than trucking water in? Filtering needed water would help to remove some of the contaminates that are in the stream. Cleaning up the rest of the stream water that has not been filtered will be a huge undertaking. Now, I have not heard if the pH levels have changed to make filtering difficult or impracticable.

 

     When Mt. Saint Helen's blew her top, the enviro's said the area "would be a moon scape for hundreds of years". In no time, lush vegetation sprang up along the river valley despite the thick ash flow and huge herds of elk and deer, along with coyotes could be seen enjoying their new moon scape! I know this because I witnessed it first hand while working on some of the replacement bridges that go up to the visitor center and I have the photos to prove it.                       

 

     The reason I mention this is because Mother Nature is one tough Lady! We need to closely follow this spill to see if it's Mother Nature that naturally cleans up this mess and if so, make sure that the E.P.A. does not try to take the credit!!! In my opinion the E.P.A. can not fix this, only a "higher overseeing authority" like Mother Nature the toughest force on the planet can. For now mankind can only put a bandage on this until it heals.                                                                        

 

     When fools rule, Foolish and unnecessary things happen.               Ron 

I am not sure I would trust a water filter given to me by the EPA, though I would trust the ones I own. I honestly don't know which would be cheaper, hundreds if not thousands of filters capable of running a few hundred gallons a minute or shipping the water in from Lake Powell? I don't know of any filter capable of handling a crop irrigation flow that will remove toxic materials, I have never seen such a thing?

Regardless, I read a article today put out by the Lawyer representing the Navajo Nation that said the EPA was going house to house asking people to sign a statement that they would not sue, and most of those were non-English speaking homes.

I agree with you ten fold about Mother Nature, even if we kill ourselves off she will have this planet standing tall in just a couple of years. This old lady has a way of making things right over time, something she has a lot more of than we do. How long after the Gulf Oil Spill before we were eating Gulf Shrimp, Gulf Crabs, and Gulf Oysters again? 3 months.

The EPA is planning on reopening the river this week which means it is time for me to go visit the Silverton Claim again and see what the conditions are for myself, I am curious what safe is in the eyes of a EPA mistake? If we could only get permission to dredge all the materials at the base of the mine, after all we are cleaning it up?

http://www.foxnews.com/po...-dates-back-to-2005/

Watch this video expose the EPA for what they are.

 

Heard a few days ago that EPA will get off scott free and no penalties for it, and that supposedly will leave things draining as they are for now into the forseeable future................

I went to the Silverton GPAA claim myself to see what the conditions are, the river is F%$***.

What I find the most interesting about this spill is that it was predicted and published by a retired Geologist in the Silverton Paper just one week prior. He basically said that the EPA would create this disaster in order to get between $100-$500 Million in Tax Payer dollars to set up a cleaning station. They had even gone as far as calling it the "Grand Experiment" and pre-planned the entire disaster.

Normally I don't buy into conspiracy theories, but since this one was written one week ahead of the disaster it has considerable teeth.

That is the way they work today .Create a disaster for more money no mater who it effects .They don't live there .

Then all dredge owners should be getting paid by the EPA for their help in cleaning up this man made planned disaster. When the EPA dredges the river what do you think they will do with the "Other" materials they find, they sure as hell are not out collecting mercury? $500 million in our tax dollars to correct a disaster that was created on purpose, it's time the EPA met with a few prosecutors and judges, this turd won't flush.

Another article on the EPA Mine Spill.

http://news.yahoo.com/epa...09124--politics.html

Pay attention to the EPA's excuses so we can use them when they blame us for any river damage by prospecting.