Laura: ON AUGUST 5, 2015 CREWS WORKING TO REOPEN AN ABANDONED MINE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN COLORADO BREACHED A CONTAINMENT WALL AND THREE MILLION GALLONS OF MINE WASTE SPEWED INTO CEMENT CREEK, A TRIBUTARY OF THE ANIMAS RIVER.

THEY WERE TRYING TO REOPEN THE GOLD KING MINE TO CLEAN IT UP, BUT THE ACCIDENT SENT ACID MINE DRAINAGE DOWN THE RIVER FULL OF CADMIUM, LEAD, ZINC, MERCURY, IRON AND MANGANESE.

SUSAN PALKO-SCHRAA REMEMBERS HEARING ABOUT THE SPILL AND WAITING FOR THE SLUDGE TO COME DOWN THE RIVER.

Schraa: IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON AND WE WERE STANDING RIGHT BY THE RIVER.

ORIGINALLY THERE WAS JUST MAYBE A FOOT WIDE OF ORANGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CURRENT.

YOU COULD TRACE WHERE THE CURRENT WENT.

AND THAT PASSED MAYBE, 15, 20 MINUTES IT GOT A LITTLE WIDER.

AND IT WAS STARTING TO GET DUSK AND I REMEMBER THINKING, OH, THAT IS NOT SO BAD.

AND, SO, THEN WE KEPT WATCHING IT.

AND IT PROGRESSED TO HAVE THE ENTIRE RIVER ALMOST A NEON ORANGE.

Laura: IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE GOLD KING MINE SPILL, THERE WERE LAWSUITS.

THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO AND THE NAVAJO NATION SUED THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WHOSE CONTRACTORS HAD CAUSED THE SPILL.

THERE WAS ALSO FUNDING FOR STUDIES, STUDIES LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE HOW THE SPILL HAD AFFECTED FISH AND WILDLIFE AND THE BIOTIC COMMUNITY.

THERE WERE ALSO LONGER TERM STUDIES TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE HOW THAT SPILL IN THE RIVER MIGHT HAVE AFFECTED THE GROUNDWATER BELOW.

SUE ANN AND HER HUSBAND BECAME INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS AND THEY JOINED A STATE STUDY TO SEE IF THE SPILL AFFECTED THE LOCAL AQUIFER.

FOR TWO YEARS HYDROLOGIST TALON NEWTON WITH THE NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF GEOLOGY SAMPLED TWO DOZEN PRIVATE WELLS.

Newton: IT WAS TO ASSESS ANY IMPACTS TO GROUNDWATER FROM THESE, YOU KNOW, THE CONTAMINATED RIVER WATER THAT WAS FLOWING IN THE ANIMAS RIVER.

AND SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THOUGH, WE NEEDED TO CHARACTERIZE THE SYSTEM AND FIGURE OUT WHAT CONTROLS THE GROUNDWATER CHEMISTRY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Laura: LEARNING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RIVER, IRRIGATION CANALS AND THE GROUNDWATER, HELPED THE CREW UNDERSTAND THE TOXIC SPILL.

Newton: THE GOOD NEWS IS WE DIDN'T SEE ANY OBVIOUS IMPACTS FROM THE SPILL AT THE GOLD KING MINE.

Laura: THEY WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.

ANIMAS FLOWS INTO THE SAN JUAN RIVER WHICH LINES ACROSS THE WESTERN NAVAJO NATION.

KARLETTA CHIEF IS A HYDROLOGIST WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA.

SHE ALSO STARTED STUDYING THE SPILLS' IMPACTS RIGHT AWAY.

SHE AND HER TEAM TESTED MORE THAN 60 HOUSEHOLDS AND THREE NAVAJO COMMUNITIES LOOKING FOR LEAD AND ARSENIC WHICH CAN HAVE LONG-TERM HEALTH IMPACTS.

THEY ALSO CONVENED FOCUS GROUPS FOR YEARS AFTERWARDS ON BEHALF OF DINE FARMERS WHO RELY ON THE WATERS OF SAN JUAN.

Chief: WE FOUND THAT THERE ARE OVER 40 DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THE NAVAJO PEOPLE USE THE SAN JUAN RIVER, NOT JUST FOR RECREATION, NOT JUST FOR FARMING, BUT THEY ALSO USE IT FOR CULTURE, FOR SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, FOR ARTS AND CRAFTS AND MORE.

Laura: FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS PEOPLE HAVE PUT THEIR HANDS INTO THE SOIL, PLANTED HEIRLOOM FEEDS AND RELY DAILY UPON THE WATERS OF THE SAN JUAN.

THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN CAN DO THE SAME, SAFELY.

Chief: THIS STUDY, THERE WASN'T THAT IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACT.

THE CULTURAL IMPACTS AND MENTAL AND FINANCIAL IMPACTS IS A LONGER IMPACT THAT I BELIEVE IS STILL PRESENT TODAY.

Laura: SHE SAYS ALL SCIENTISTS WHO STUDY ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE RELATE TO THEIR LAND AND WATERS AND HOW THEY SEE THE RISKS THEY FACE.

Chief: THE SAN JUAN RIVER IS CONSIDERED A MALE RIVER AND IT PROVIDES WATER FOR FARMING, WATER TO GROW THE NATURAL PLANTS USED FOR CULTURAL PRACTICES AND EVEN MEDICINE AND THEN ALSO FOR THE ECOSYSTEM THERE WHERE PEOPLE USE -- THEY DO ENGAGE IN HUNTING THERE.

THE WATER ITSELF IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NAVAJO PEOPLE AND SEEING THIS WATER CONTAMINATED HAD A HUGE CULTURAL IMPACT TO THE PEOPLE.

Laura: SHE SAYS SCIENTISTS AND POLICY MAKERS NEED TO LISTEN TO TRIBAL LEADERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

AND KEEP DOING THAT.

BECAUSE EVEN TODAY, THE SPILL HIGHLIGHTS BIGGER PROBLEMS.

UPSTREAM THERE ARE MORE THAN 20,000 ABANDONED MINES, MINES EXCAVATED AND THEN LEFT FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO CLEAN UP.

AND THE PROBLEMS THAT LED TO THAT SPILL FIVE YEARS AGO ARE NOT UNIQUE.

TODAY SUSAN PALKO-SCHRAA IS CONFIDENT THE RIVER IS SAFE BUT A RECENT HEADLINE MADE HER WONDER ABOUT THE FUTURE.

THE EPA IS PROPOSING TO STORE TOXIC WASTE FROM ABANDONED MINES INCLUDING GOLD KING NEAR SILVERTON, COLORADO.

THEY HAVE TAKEN ABOUT 6,000 CUBIC YARDS OF TOXIC LEAD EACH YEAR.

Schraa: I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THERE IS WISDOM THAT IT IS AWAY FROM THE WATERSHED, BECAUSE CLEARLY WE DO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE MINING WASTE BUT WE CAN DEAL WITH IT WITH CAUTION AND WISDOM AND WE CAN PROTECT WHAT IS MOST VALUABLE.

AND IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST, WE ALL KNOW WATER IS OF ESSENTIAL VALUE.

Laura: FOR OUR LAND AND NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, I AM LAURA PASKUS.