WASHINGTON — Aug. 27, 2015 — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made new data available regarding the Gold King Mine spill in early August, according to a press release.
A draft technical memo, photographs with descriptions and memorandum by an EPA phone duty officer are included in the released documents, noted the release. Click here to view the information.
The graphs show trends in arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations over time, stated the release. The metals are the primary contaminants of concern because of their risks to human health.
According to the graphs, contaminant concentrations are lower than the recreational screening level (RSL), reported the release. RSLs relate to the exposure of hikers and campers to surface water and sediment.
The data also show concentrations of dissolved metals rather than total metals, shared the release. Analytical data tables illustrate the results’ exact values.
Trend graphs were created with pre-event and post-event data from the Animas and San Juan watersheds, noted the release. Samples were analyzed for 24 metals, and have shown to trend toward pre-event conditions.
You can find the entire release here.
