News Releases from Headquarters

EPA Continues Reimbursing Gold King Mine Costs

WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided over $90,000 in additional reimbursements to five entities in Colorado and Utah for their costs incurred responding to the August 5, 2015, Gold King Mine release.

These payments represent requests received by EPA prior to December 16, 2016, that had adequate documentation. They were evaluated following enactment of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act on December 16, 2016. EPA is still evaluating other reimbursement requests, some of which were received after December 16, 2016.

The payments are made using EPA guidelines for determining which response costs related to the Gold King Mine release are eligible for reimbursement under the recently passed WIIN Act. A link to the guidance is below.

To date, EPA has dedicated more than $29 million to address the Gold King Mine release, including reimbursing more than $3.5 million in documented and allowable response costs to 10 state, tribal, and local governments.

“States, tribes, and local governments are valued partners. With the Gold King Mine and the rest of the Bonita Peak Mining District now on the Superfund Priorities List, we look forward to improving the environment for everyone involved and ensuring Gold King costs are handled in a timely and fair manner,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

To view the guidelines: https://www.epa.gov/goldkingmine/water-infrastructure-improvements-nation-wiin-act

To view the Gold King Mine homepage: https://www.epa.gov/goldkingmine

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