Handwerk, B. (2015, August 13). Why tens of thousands of toxic mines litter the us : Smithsonian : science : U.S. Retrieved Aug 23, 2015, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-tens-thousands-toxic-mines-litter-us-west-180956265/?no-ist

The EPA has estimated that mining has contaminated over forty percent of the watersheds in the west and the situation that occurred recently on the animas has come as no surprise to many environmentalists. There are tens of thousands of abandoned mining sites that were not regulated and not sealed properly. When contaminated water builds up in mines and absorbs heavy metals at a low Ph the water will eventually find its way out of the mine and into local water systems. It can take hundreds of years to clean spills like these and left over metals that settle in water ways can damage local ecosystems over time.

Improperly closed mines pose a threat all over the nation and the latest spill is an example of what happens when only one mine is breached. The fact that the problem is as widespread as it is seems to call for immediate action in the safe handling of abandoned mines. It is important to be proactive as opposed to being reactive and these mines should be properly secured with concrete bulkheads and piping. However these solutions are far from permanent and either new technology or an examination of mining practices is necessary.

Garrison, S. (2015, August 14). U.S. looks for long term solutions to mining pollution – USA Today. News: Farmington NM times –. Retrieved aug 20, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/08/14/long-term-solution-mining-pollution-gold-king-mine/31700311/

A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers is pushing for funding to build a water treatment plant on the animas river. Mark Williams who specializes in mountain hydrology and acid mine drainage sais environmental inspectors must map the pathways water takes within the mountains as the plugging of mines caused water to escape through fractures in the mountains. Understanding the source is the key to the problem and that a water treatment plant is not the long-term solution to the problem.

This story highlights a real problem with the repercussions of mining: we don’t have good ways of dealing with the fallout. Water treatment plants are limited in their scope and range and new remediation technologies need to be developed. At this point it seems the change needs to come from the source cleanup has a much higher cost than prevention from an ecological standpoint if not from an economic standpoint and although this makes it seem impractical it seems the only current possibility while technology is still catching up.

Williams, D. (2015, aug 20). Colorado dems back mining reform GOP focused on good samritan law: The Colorado statesman :. Retrieved aug 23, 2015, from http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/996047-colorado-dems-back-mining-reform-gop-focused-good-samaritan-law

In Colorado where the animas river was deluged with millions of gallons of toxic water lawmakers are already debating the ways to fund clean up with republicans backing a good Samaritan bill and democrats backing a bill that would charge royalties for mining and use the taxes to fund cleanups.

The current state of our policies and ideas of policymakers seem to be lagging behind the scientific facts p[resented. Lawmakers seem to take an approach that is too little too late and a law such as a the good Samaritan obne proposed would do little to aid the deplorable state of tens of thousands of mines which contain toxic water and need to be addressed by largescale containment and reduction efforts.

Pearson, S. (2015, Aug 23). In Minnesota, fight between mining and environment gets personal : Aljazeera America. Retrieved August 23, 2015, from http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/8/23/in-minnesota-fight-between-mining-and-environment-gets-personal.html

Twin metals Minnesota, owned by Chilean company Antofagasta has proposed building the largest underground mine in Minnesota. Copper sulfide mining, the type that is being proposed for the new mine, is dangerous because it creates sulfuric acid when copper sulfide is brought to the surface and the deposits sit under some of the nations most irreplaceable fresh water sources. The topic of the mine is controversial as it has divided public opinion between supporters who cite the boost in economic activity and job availability versus those who are afraid of the environmental risks.

The region in which the mine is proposed is flush with fresh water including the boundary waters lake superior and superior national forest which holds over 20 percent of the fresh water in the us national forst system. The type of mining can create sulfuric acid which in turn is leached by water from mine sites and turns into acid mine drainage which can contaminate lakes rivers and groundwater. This could pose serious reprocussions for the wildlife and for humans as the areas fresh water is a major source of drinking water and could risk contamination.

Turkewitz, J. (2015, AUG 11            ). E.P.A. treating toxic water from abandoned Colorado mine after accident: New York Times. Retrieved august 20, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/12/us/epa-treating-toxic-water-from-abandoned-colorado-mine-after-accident.html?_r=0

Toxic water is still spilling at a rate of 500 to 700 gallons a minute after the EPA accidently breached an abandoned mine that had periodically released toxic water into the nearby animas river. While trying to stop the occasional leak workers accidently triggered a flood of toxic water high in heavy metals such as lead and arsenic and it has since flowed south into New Mexico and Colorado New Mexico and the Navaho nation have declared states of emergency.

The massive spill occurred after EPA workers accidently breached a store of chemical water and has immediate and severe effects on the local wildlife and on the drinking water of residents of Colorado New Mexico and the Navaho Nation. The animas and San Juan rivers were closed for drinking, irrigation, fishing and other activities and ‘at least seven public water systems that typically take water from these rivers’ have stopped doing so. The heavy metals in the rivers have a devastating effect on wildlife and will create a myriad of environmental issues going forth.