Confusion plagues EPA response to toxic Colorado mining spill it caused

Communities in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona along the Animas and San Juan rivers struggle to make sense of mixed messages and a lack of communication from the federal agency

Six days after a burst plug shot 3m gallons of toxic mining waste from Gold King Mine into Colorado's Animas River, communities in three states are increasingly frustrated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hasn't explained the environmental and health impacts of the spill.

"For whatever reason, their communications continue to be insufficient," said Durango-based San Juan Citizens Alliance executive director Dan Olson. "They're sowing more confusion in the community than they are resolving it."