The Navajo Nation is seeking $160 million under the Federal Tort Claims Act for damages resulting from the Gold King Mine spill near Silverton in 2015.
The spill, which occurred when a U.S. government contractor breached a portal at the historic mine, sent millions of gallons of mineral-contaminated water into the Animas River and then the San Juan, which flows through the Navajo Nation. The Farmington Daily-Times reports the tribe also is seeking $3.2 million for expenses that have not yet been reimbursed by the federal government. The $160 million is reportedly for long-term monitoring and assessments, an on-site laboratory, alternative water-supply reservoirs, additional water treatment, and more.
