I have been writing about the Gold King Mine wastewater release since well, basically since it happened. See the first post here.
You may be wondering why...why am I so interested in the Gold King Mine?
- Maybe it is because I am innately interested in all aspects of the mining industry. Coal and trona mining are the lifeblood of my hometown and the industries that my family has worked in for generations...so that could be the reason?
- Or it could be that I do not really understand where 3 million gallons of wastewater came from...the recent article, Silverton's Gold King Reckoning, written by Jonathan Thompson and featured in High Country News, provides a great background on how "[t]he pool had been rising for years, imprisoned in the dark of the mine, yearning, as all water does, to be free."
- Or maybe I just cannot seem to wrap my head around how much
fluid 3 million gallons actually is.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science School website, it turns out that a good size bathtub holds about 50 gallons of water – so 3 million gallons is 60,000 baths. That is one bath a day for 164 years. Said another way, 1 million gallons of water is equivalent to a swimming pool that is 267 feet long (almost as long as a football field), 50 feet wide and 10 feet deep. We are talking about three times that. Ok, I think I can sort of wrap my head around that. - Maybe the whole event makes me start thinking about the
nation's abandoned mines and wondering if plumes of wastewater
are silently lurking everywhere.
In fact, on April 7, 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") proposed the Bonita Peak Mining District, including the Gold King Mine, to the National Priorities List. "The proposed Bonita Peak Mining District site consists of 48 historic mines or mining-related sources where ongoing releases of metal-laden water and sediments are occurring within Mineral Creek, Cement Creek and the Upper Animas. Near Silverton, Colorado, these drainages join to form the Animas River..."
Regardless of why I am so interested in this topic, I am sure I will continue to keep you posted as to the happenings at the Gold King Mine and with the progression of the proposed Bonita Peak Mining District. Stay tuned!
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
[View Source]