A team of workers with the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally released 3 million gallons of wastewater from the Gold King Mine in Silverton, Colorado, on Aug. 5, the agency said. It was initially estimated to be a third of that size at one million gallons, the EPA said.
The contaminated water contains heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, turning the river water into a murky orange and yellow color, ABC affiliate KMGH reported.
