But, in retrospect, it has become clear that the collaborative effort was a mistake. It appears to me that the EPA yielded to the wishes of the residents of San Juan County too much. It would have been better for everyone had the EPA declared the basin a Superfund site and proceeded with the very expensive remediation the basin requires.

Had Superfund been in place since 1994, we would have had a water-treatment plant in place by now, and we would not have seen the steady increase in heavy-metals contaminates that was occurring before the latest catastrophe. And, without a doubt, the Gold King Mine would have been handled long before now.

Hindsight is 20/20, and I am as guilty as anyone. When I left the group, I had hoped the collaborative process was on its way to success. But, clearly, the problems are far beyond the scope of anyone but the deepest of deep pockets. And that is the EPA Superfund.

Michael Black

Durango