EPA Announces U.S. Department of the Interior to Lead Independent Review of Gold King Mine Release

Review to include analysis of the cause of release, contractor activities and lessons learned for use on ongoing and planned projects.

WASHINGTON, DC, August 18, 2015 - EPA announced today the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) will lead an independent assessment of the factors that led to the Gold King Mine incident on August 5, 2015, in Colorado that affected the Animas and San Juan rivers. The assessment begins today, Tuesday, August 18, and it is anticipated that DOI will provide the assessment report to EPA and the public within 60 days.

The goal of DOI’s independent review is to provide EPA with an analysis of the incident that took place at Gold King Mine, including the contributing causes.

Details about the independent review will be made available by DOI when they become available.

In addition to the independent review, EPA is conducting its own internal technical examination of the incident. Both reviews will help inform ongoing and planned site assessments, investigations, and construction or removal projects.