Follow the yellow coloured river

If you’ve been keeping up with the recent news lately you’ve probably heard or seen pictures of the river running through Colorado and New Mexico. Millions of litres of toxic waste have spilled from an abandoned gold mine and are now flowing through communities polluting the water that we drink. Gross. ٩(͡๏̯͡๏)۶

This was unfortunately the fault of EPA workers who accidently unleashed these 11 million litres of orange-yellow waste. The majority of the waste is made up of arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals that are very harmful to humans and the environment. The agency is currently working around the clock to address the environmental impact. But is that good enough?

This source of water is a lifeline to a lot of communities. Parts of New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona have shut down their water intake systems and stopped diverting water from the river. The communities are insisting that the federal government pay for their mistakes and we agree.

This also isn’t the first time that a mine has leaked into these rivers. Heavy metals from the Gold King have been leaching out and killing fish and other aquatic life for decades. The EPA has stated that the current flows are too fast for the metals to pose any immediate health threats, and the metals will also dilute over time not creating any long-term health risks either. But do we really want to be drinking yellow water? No. The river however, will be closed for drinking until August 17^th.

As a precaution, federal officials have told boaters and fishing groups to avoid the rivers affected areas. Farmers have also been forced to stop irrigating. Tourism has come to a complete halt and unfortunately these communities are now losing thousands of dollars. Do you agree with the EPA’s solution to this disaster? What else could be done to help?

– K