Oh boy…E.P.A.

Ordinarily, the Animas River is packed with kayaks, inner tubes, and fishermen. This weekend, however, there were few visitors.

That’s because earlier this week, more than a million gallons of contaminated water from an old gold mine poured into the Animas River in Durango, Colorado. Potentially dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminum have made the water dangerous for consumption, water sports, and wildlife. Old sediment has turned it into a murky mustard-colored mess. MORE