Lujan Amendment to Increase Funding for Long-Term Monitoring of Rivers Affected by Gold King Mine Spill Passes House

Statement

Congressman Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico's Third District offered an amendment to the Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that provides $6 million in funding for long-term water quality monitoring along rivers impacted by the Gold King Mine spill. His amendment passed late last night with bipartisan support. Below are Luján's remarks as delivered during debate on his amendment.

"Madam Chair, last August, the Environmental Protection Agency was responsible for the blowout at the Gold King Mine in Colorado that spilled 3 million gallons of wastewater, impacting New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and the Navajo Nation. I was in Farmington, New Mexico when the toxic plume turned the Animas River yellow. I met with the community and heard their concerns about the toll that the spill was taking on businesses, farmers, families, and individuals.

"Madam Chair, we are almost one year removed from the spill, and in communities that have been impacted, there remains serious concerns about the long-term effects that the spill will have on the river and all that its water sustains, from drinking water to farming and livestock. Long-term water quality monitoring is essential to ensure that communities along the Animas River have the data they need to protect the health of all those who rely on this water.

"Unfortunately, the State of New Mexico and the EPA have been unable to agree on what the long-term monitoring should look like. As a result the State has moved ahead with a lawsuit against the EPA.

"Madam Chair, it is disappointing that it has come to this point of legal action. My amendment today seeks to address this issue by providing $6 million to direct the EPA to work with affected states and Indian Tribes to implement long-term monitoring programs for water quality on the Animas and San Juan Rivers in response to the Gold King Mine Spill.

"The State of New Mexico has worked with stakeholders to develop a robust monitoring plan that I believe can serve as a basis for a truly comprehensive effort. Monitoring now and well into the future is necessary to protect the health of all those who rely on this water, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment."

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