DENVER (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency plans to drill a test well into an inactive mine tunnel in southwestern Colorado to get information for a Superfund cleanup.
The EPA said Friday it will drill into the American Tunnel next month to measure water levels and investigate how the passage is connected to other shafts.
The EPA is looking for ways to stop or treat contaminated water pouring into rivers from old mine sites in the Bonita Peak Superfund area.
The agency designated the Superfund site after it inadvertently triggered a spill at the Gold King Mine in August 2015. The spill released 3 million gallons (11.4 million liters) of wastewater, polluting rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
The EPA says it will follow strict safety guidelines when drilling the test well.
