Mine spill meeting to focus on drinking water

The Daily Times staff

FARMINGTON — The Gold King Mine Spill Citizens' Advisory Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Suns Room of the San Juan College Student Center, 4601 College Blvd. in Farmington.

Mike Wright, foreman with the Stacey Ditch, opens the ditch on Aug. 15, 2015, at Sutherland Farms in Aztec after farmers and ranchers were told they could use the Animas River to irrigate their fields after the Gold King Mine spill. The spill in August 2015 released millions of gallons of toxic waste into the Animas River.

During the meeting, Stephanie Stringer, the bureau chief of the New Mexico Environment Department's Drinking Water Quality Bureau, will provide an update on well water and water from city drinking water sources.

The committee consists of 11 volunteers who live in northern New Mexico. The members track the scientific long-term monitoring following the Gold King Mine spill in August 2015 and are charged with keeping the public informed of those findings. The mine spill released about three million gallons of water containing heavy metals into the Animas River. The waste later reached the San Juan River.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

For more information, go to nmedRiverWaterSafety.org.