Barrier placed in Gold King Mine to prevent future spills
Sept. 22, 2017
The 12-inch valve will regulate wastewater pouring from the Gold King Mine in Colorado.
COLORADO, SEPT 22, 2017 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is installing a barrier and valve inside an inactive Colorado mine.
ABC News reports the 12-inch (30-centimeter) valve will regulate wastewater pouring from the Gold King Mine in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, where the EPA inadvertently triggered a wastewater spill while excavating at the mine entrance in August 2015.
The spill released 3 million gallons of wastewater containing aluminum, iron and other heavy metals into rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
The EPA says the valve will be mounted in a steel-and concrete barrier about 70 feet inside the mine. At another part of the mine, the EPA is also drilling a 170-foot horizontal well to drain water buildup. In official documents, the EPA said it can control the flow of wastewater from the new drain to avoid another blowout.
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