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Utah’s $1.9 billion claim from mine spill reveals no details

FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2015, file photo, hydrologic technician Ryan Parker gathers water samples from the San Juan River, in Montezuma Creek, Utah. Utah has filed a claim for $1.9 billion from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, saying a mine wastewater spill in Colorado triggered by the EPA damaged the San Juan and other waterways in Utah, as well as causing damage to soil and wildlife. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2015, file photo, hydrologic technician Ryan Parker gathers water samples from the San Juan River, in Montezuma Creek, Utah. Utah has filed a claim for $1.9 billion from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, saying a mine wastewater spill in Colorado triggered by the EPA damaged the San Juan and other waterways in Utah, as well as causing damage to soil and wildlife. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

By Associated Press 3 min read

Utah’s $1.9 billion claim against the Environmental Protection Agency for a multi-state mine waste spill says Utah’s water, soil and wildlife were damaged, but it offers no specifics.

The Utah Attorney General’s Office provided a copy of the claim to The Associated Press Wednesday.

The claim stems from the release of 3 million gallons (11 million liters) of wastewater from the inactive Gold King Mine in southwestern Colorado in August 2015. An EPA-led contractor crew inadvertently triggered the spill.

The spill polluted rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah and turned some waterways an orange-yellow color. Indian lands were also affected.

Farmers and utilities temporarily stopped drawing water from the rivers, and rafting companies had to suspend operations. The EPA said water quality quickly returned to pre-spill levels.