Dec 7, 2016 - Navajo Nation files Lawsuit against EPA over Toxic Mine Spill

The Navajo Nation has filed a $160 million lawsuit against the U.S. government for damages caused by the massive August 2015 mine spill that released millions of gallons of toxic waste into the Animas and San Juan rivers.

In a press release Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch stated, “In particular, it has impaired our ability to maintain the cultural, ceremonialism, and spiritual practices that undergird the Navajo way of life. Through this claim and our corresponding lawsuit, we are demanding that the US government finally provide the Navajo Nation relief.”

The toxic spill released lead, mercury and arsenic into to rivers that Navajo and others rely on for water for people, crops and animals.

Read Navajo Nation press release here

Animas River, before and after Gold King Mine spill