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effluents. At the river flow of 250 c.f.s. dissolved radium was again 0.2 c/l above the mill and 3.3 c/l below. The algae and aquatic insects above and the contained 6 uuc of radium per g of ash while below they contained 660 and 360 uuc/q, respectively. The two effluents from the mill contained 76 and 25 uuc/l of dissolved radium. The gross alpha activity of suspended solids in the main effluent was 33,200 uuc/l. On the basis of these figures and the observed effluent flows it was estimated that as much as 160 Ib/day of dissolved uranium was wasted to the river, and a maximum of 0.8 mg/day of dissolved radium was released. In the undisolved state an estimated 30 mg of radium were released daily. As will be seen, this figure has real significance in terms of river water quality. E.C.Tsivoglou and M. Stein have described the dangers of excessive radium levels in their article "Industrial Waters". The polluting of the Animas River caused by discharge of uranium milling wastes from the uranium ore refinery at Durango, Colorado, deleteriously affected public water supplies at Aztec and Farmington, New Mexico, individual water supplies of ranchers and others who take raw water from the river for irrigation, fishing, swimming, and stock watering in New Mexico. Discharges of nonradioactive chemicals to the Animas River by uranium mill at Durango, COlorado, have proven toxic to fish and aquatic life in the Animas River and such discharges have created conditions inimical to such fish and aquatic life. These facts demonstrate the importance of assessing such wastes in terms of the total human intake of related radioisotopes rather than simply in terms of water concentrations of individual radionuclides. When the consulting firm of Black , Veatch reviewed the various alternatives for meeting Durango's future needs in 1981 they provided additional concern with respect to the mill tailings situation: " The second item pertains to the tailings pile from the abandoned uranium mill adjacent to the Animas River. The tailings are also upstream of the Durango Pumping Plant. As part of the Project (The Bureau's Animas La Plata Project), the effect of these tailings, including any runoff and/or seepaqe from the tailings, on the quality of the river waters should be thoroughly investigated. If such investigations indicate an adverse effect on the river waters, steps should be taken, as part of the Project, to eliminate these adverse effects in some manner.- 30