CriticizingEPA,FailstoProgressFutureSolutions

Itseemsirrelevantatthispointtocontinuepointingfingersintothepastforthe
admittancetheEPAclaimedfortheGoldKingMineSpill.Withtheriverinmylifefor15years,I
haveexperiencedpaddlingthroughthe5,000cfsMilkChocolateAnimasafterthespringrunoff.
Ihavewitnessedtheshorecoveredwithiceandtheemptinessofthewintermonths.However,I
haveneverwitnessedtheheartbeatofDurangoinsuchanunpleasantwayaftertheSpill.

Toelaborate,aftertheuglyplumemadeitswaythroughtheCitylimitsthecommunityhit
averyfragilestate,frommembersoftherecreationalcommunitytomembersofthesmall
businesscommunity.TheMustardcoloredwaterwastakingitstollineverypossibleway.
OwnerandOperatorofMildtoWildRaftingandlocalcommunitymember,AlexMickelsays,I
reallylookedatthesituationfromabusinessstandpointanddividedourplanintothreedifferent
tiers,firstweneededtosurvivetheimmediatecrisis,secondweneedtosurvivetheeconomic
lossesthatareassociatedwiththespill,andlastly,weneedtofigureouthowtopreventthis
fromhappeningagain.

I,forone,wouldliketoaddressthebestpossiblesolutiontoensurethatallheadwaters
flowingintotheAnimasRiverarecleanfromtoxicmetalsandanyminewaste.Metalssuchas
arsenic,lead,copperandcadmiumareverydangeroustohumanhealth.Beingexposedto
thesemetalsarepotentiallyputtingtherivercommunityatrisk,andtheuniqueenvironmentthat
happenstobefueledbytheriver.Silvertonhascontinuedtopreservethemines,working
towardstheirowncleanwateract.Although,Idobelievethattherecentspillshouldactasa
wakeupcall.

IbelievethatSilvertonneedstoteamupwiththeAPT(AmericanPeatTechnology)orI
suggestthatSilvertonlooksintoanEcofriendlyfiltrationsystemthatwillremoveallheavy
metalsandtoxicwastethatmaybeharmfultoalivingorganism.Apossiblesolutioncould
entitletheresearchdonebyTheUniversityofMinnesotaDuluthNaturalResourcesResearch
instituteandtheAPT.Theyhavepreviouslyteamedupinordertocleanwastewaterfroma
mineinMinnesota.Theteamdevelopedaheatbasedhardeningprocessthatdeliveredahard,
densegranulethatdoesntbreakdowninwaterbutitmanagesthenaturalchemical
mechanismsthatdrivetheadsorptionofdissolvedheavymetals.

Asaresult,theAnimasRiverwouldbefreeofallminewasteandheavymetalsrunning
throughcementcreek.ThissolutionwouldprovidethecomfortandsustainabilitythatDurango
andSilvertonbusinessownersneedaftertherecentGoldKingMineSpill.Itwouldadministerall
ofthewaterintheupperAnimaskeepingthewatercleanforallrecreationalpurposes,fishing,
andevenfurtherdowntheroadforthenavajonation.