Udall Statement on the Mine Spill in the Animas River

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement about the contamination of the Animas River by the Gold King Mine in San Juan County, Colorado:

"The release of wastewater into the Animas River from the Gold King Mine in Colorado is of great concern to me and the Northwestern New Mexico communities that could be affected as the spill moves downstream. My office is engaging the Environmental Protection Agency and all federal agencies that can assist with information and response. I am calling on all relevant federal agencies to ensure potentially affected areas in New Mexico and the Navajo Nation will get the attention and services they need. We will continue to stay in communication, and my staff and I stand ready to provide assistance to any community or individuals in need. The Animas and San Juan rivers are important drinking water sources for New Mexico. I will push for answers to how this incident happened, and I won't rest until we are sure that any possible impacts to the downstream communities or the environment have been addressed to the greatest extent possible."

There are several ways to get more information from EPA and state and local governments.
By phone: A call center has been set up for the public at 970-385-8700.
Online: Information is being posted to the La Plata County website at http://www.co.laplata.co.us/emergency and the San Juan Basin Health Department's Website at www.sjbhd.org.
Social media: Information is also being posted on the La Plata County Government Facebook and San Juan Basin Health Department Facebook pages.