US, Colorado reach proposed settlement in 2015 mine spill

FILE - Wastewater flows through a series of retention ponds built to contain and filter out heavy metals and chemicals from the Gold King Mine in Silverton, Colo,. on Aug. 12, 2015. Colorado, the U.S. government and a gold mining company have agreed to resolve a longstanding dispute over who’s responsible for cleanup at a Superfund site that was established after a massive 2015 spill of hazardous mine waste. The proposed settlement announced Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, would direct $90 million to cleanup at the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Denver-based Sunnyside Gold Corp.(AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)