EPA urges return to normalcy days after toxic Animas river spill

Nine days after 3m gallons of toxic mining waste turned river orange, officials report water has returned to 'pre-incident levels' but residents remain uneasy

Authorities are pushing residents to return to normal along the Animas river, where a spill of 3m gallons of acidic, heavy metal-laden mining waste turned the river a jarring yellow-orange for days.

For hundreds of miles along the Animas and San Juan rivers, cities were forced to shut down municipal drinking water systems, farmers and ranchers had to find new water sources for crops and livestock, and tourist season was abruptly disrupted for river recreation-dependent towns.