New Mexico Reaches $11M Settlement with Sunnyside Gold Corporation for the 2015 Mine Spill
The state of New Mexico has reached an $11 million settlement with Silverton-based Sunnyside Gold Corp. over costs related to the 2015 Gold King Mine spill, the state announced Wednesday.
The Environmental Protection Agency in 2015 triggered the Gold King Mine spill, releasing about 3 million gallons of water laced with heavy metals into the Animas and San Juan rivers.
Sunnyside Gold Corp., however, was seen as a potentially responsible party because the mining company had plugged its own mine pool in the region, which some believe filled up and started to spill out of Gold King.
Sunnyside Gold has been adamant for years that its mine pool is not connected to the Gold King Mine workings.
The state of New Mexico filed a lawsuit in May 2016 seeking to cover costs against Sunnyside Gold Corp., which is owned by the international mining conglomerate Kinross Gold Corp.
