Bennet Applauds Agreement to Clean Up the Animas River Watershed

Settlement Between Colorado, the Federal Government, and Mining Companies Will Support Ongoing Efforts to Protect the Health and Environment of Surrounding Communities

Denver – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement after the Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Interior (DOI), the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the State of Colorado announced that they reached an agreement with Sunnyside Gold Corporation and Kinross Gold Corporation after years of degraded water quality. 

“I am pleased to see this agreement reached in our work to clean up the Animas River Watershed. This proposed settlement will enable us to focus resources toward cleaning up the mining contamination that has long degraded water quality in the Animas River basin and protect the health and environment of surrounding Colorado communities. I applaud EPA, USDA, DOI, Kinross, Sunnyside Gold, and the state for coming together to negotiate this settlement and I look forward to seeing it finalized and implemented,” said Bennet.

In 2015, the Gold King Mine Spill drew attention to the state of the river and the need to secure funding for a comprehensive cleanup effort. The agreement announced today resolves federal and state liability as well as some of the private liability related to the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site, which includes the Gold King Mine and many other abandoned mines near Silverton, Colorado. This agreement will support efforts to continue cleanup of mining-related contamination within the Upper Animas Watershed, protect public health and the environment, improve water quality, stabilize mine source areas, and minimize unplanned releases.

Since the Gold King Mine spill, Bennet has worked to ensure that the EPA addresses all of the local communities' concerns and prioritizes funding for cleanup of the Gold King as well as the broader watershed. Bennet has repeatedly met with community officials, and pushed the EPA to implement the Superfund designation in a way that works for the region. He also worked with the local community to set up a water quality monitoring program for the Animas River and secure federal legislation to authorize and fund that program.