US Declines Prosecution of Government Worker in Mine Spill
Source: Associated Press
US Declines Prosecution of Government Worker in Mine Spill
By MATTHEW BROWN AND SADIE GURMAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS DENVER — Oct 12, 2016, 8:23 PM ET
U.S. prosecutors have declined to pursue criminal charges against an employee of the Environmental Protection Agency over a massive mine wastewater spill that fouled rivers in three states, a federal watchdog agency said.
The EPA's Office of Inspector General disclosed Wednesday that it recently presented evidence to prosecutors that the unnamed employee may have violated the Clean Water Act and given false statements.
However, office spokesman Jeffrey Lagda said the U.S. Attorney's Office in Colorado declined to pursue a case against the employee. In lieu of prosecution, an investigative report will be sent to senior EPA management for review, Lagda said.
An EPA-led cleanup team inadvertently triggered the Aug. 5, 2015, spill while doing work at the Gold King mine near Silverton. The 3-million-gallon blowout tainted rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah with an estimated 880,000 pounds of toxic heavy metals including arsenic, mercury and lead.
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