“We made contact with tribal leaders and health authorities”.

Yesterday, the EPA and State Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety team working to investigate and address contamination at the Gold King Mine in San Juan County, Colo. unexpectedly triggered a large release of mine waste water into the upper portions of Cement Creek.

Federal environmental officials say it’s too early to know whether heavy metals that spilled into a river from a Colorado mine pose a health risk. Heavy metals, including iron and copper, poured into the river, turning it bright orange. It expects to receive results on Friday.

Downstream in Durango, where the wastewater is expected to reach by late afternoon, city officials are asking residents to cut back on their water use and irrigation of city land at Fort Lewis College has been stopped.

The brook keeps running into the Animas Stream, which then streams into the San Juan Waterway in New Mexico and joins the Colorado Stream in Utah.

But Dan Olsen who works on environmental issues in the San Juan Basin says the EPA’s response seems lackadaisical.

The EPA called the release “unexpected”. In Silverton, signs have been posted warning of the danger.

“When you look at how cloudy and how colored that water is, this was just a royal screw up at a very bad time”, Olsen said.