The Supreme Court on Monday denied New Mexico’s petition to hold Colorado responsible for the 2015 Gold King Mine spill that resulted in 3 million gallons of toxic sludge sullying into the waterways of New Mexico and two other western states.
The petition charged that Colorado was “directly responsible” for the conditions that led to the mine spill nearly two years ago. The Environmental Protection Agency was also taken to task by the Republican Party for its role in the massive spill.
The lawsuit against Colorado, where the spill started, was filed after talks between the two states’ governments broke down.
“The Gold King Mine release is the result of two decades of disastrous environmental decision-making by Colorado, for which New Mexico and its citizens are now paying the price,” said New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas in a statement last year after petitioning the high court.
