The Environmental Protection Agency is beginning to quietly hand out about $1 million to states, tribes and local governments for the spill it caused in Colorado last year that sullied the waterways of three states.
The EPA said the money is going to state governments in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, as well as Indian tribal governments, counties and towns in the three states.
A big chunk of the funds, about $570,000, will reimburse the states for the cost of responding to the spill, which sent 3 million gallons of toxic sludge into the Animas River system from a blowout it caused at the abandoned Gold King Mine in Colorado.
But the EPA rebuffed requests for $2.4 million over 10 years from La Plata County, Colo., for ongoing expenses including water quality assessments.
The EPA says it can’t cover future expenses under the type of deal La Plata is suggesting. However, it says it has provided $2 million to all states affected by the spill and tribes to conduct water monitoring.
According to the Associated Press, the breakdown of reimbursements EPA is making include:
- $334,000 to New Mexico. The EPA said it is working with the state on an extension of the deadline to request more money.
- $221,000 to Silverton and San Juan County, both in Colorado. The Gold King Mine is near Silverton in the county.
- $208,000 to La Plata County, Colo.
- $157,000 to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. In addition, the EPA said it also spent $1.1 million on the Navajo Nation responding to the spill.
- $116,000 to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Colorado.
