Report says EPA knew mine spill was possible

DENVER — A probe of a mine waste accident in Colorado that fouled rivers in three states with arsenic, lead and other toxic substances has found further evidence that government workers knew a spill from the gold mine was possible, according to documents released Thursday by a U.S. House committee.

The release dumped more than 880,000 pounds of heavy metals into Colorado’s Animas River, forcing the closure of downstream public water systems until the plume passed and raising concerns about long-term environmental impacts.

The committee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, said Republicans were using the EPA’s role in the accident to shift responsibility from the mining industry for thousands of toxic mines across the U.S. that have been abandoned by owners.