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<br />~MiI"rftg a mOdnr8i'd~' <br /> <br />~.. .- . <br />In ~986; Galactic Resources Ltd. opened tHe SummfMlle Mine, a large-scale heap~/each gold mine in the San Juan Mountains southwest ~f Del ", <br />Norte. Six years/ate( the minf3 w~s abar/doned toine state. By then,- water laden with sulfUric acid, heavy metals and some cyanide was sueamihg riA <br />from the mine Into area waterways connected to ipe Alamosa River. The polluted water killed fish and aquatic Ufe and affected, farmland more than <br />20 miles downstream. <br /> <br /> <br />h <br /> <br />"unriaturalllisasterr<ll <br /> <br /> <br />Spring water runoff <br />Snowmelt from South Mountain washes over pits, picking up acid and <br />heavy metals. Some of the water draIns into area streams Vihile the <br />rest bul1ds up behind the dikes. The rate of the runoff "Yas as <br />higll as 600 gallons per minute in some areas. <br /> <br />South Mountain <br />(e1evationl1.:SOO feet} <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Crops1 waste dump <br />"c A pileCl(about 6.5miJlion tons of <br />:' waste rock eJ<<::aWted fron) mine pits. . <br />6" Groundwater and water tr&n rain and <br />"',;,~ ~through_ the 150.fOQ~~; <br />'\3~~acrepile: forming acid and 'f':'~ <br />dlssoMOg metals. Muted 'Nater <br />i<f .enters area-streams. . "", <br />w;. <br /> <br />.. <br />