Fifty for 150: Botched cleanup in 2015 triggers Gold King Mine spill

By: Chase Woodruff

Outlets: Colorado Newsline

Published: June 2, 2026

Words: 868

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 3 days ago

Body Text Preview

On the morning of Aug. 15, 2015, excavator crews under contract with the Environmental Protection Agency ascended a rugged mountainside six miles north of Silverton, where they planned to carefully dig out the entrance to a century-old, heavily polluted gold mine and install a pump to draw down the contaminated water that had accumulated inside it.

This story is part of Colorado at 150. Each Fifty for 150 story focuses …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.
Register for Free Log in