FEAR – that’s what people in the Southwest are feeling because of more than 3 million gallons of water containing arsenic, lead, copper, aluminum and cadmium being released from the Gold King Mine down the Animas River and into the San Juan River.

And one can’t blame them.

A couple of days ago, the 100-plume of contamination was headed for Lake Powell with its gigantic rock formations including the Rainbow Bridge, one of the world’s largest known natural bridges – but it’s not the rock formations that will be adversely affected by the pollutants.

Lake Powell is a key source of water for the Southwest.

THE ORANGE water, which has traveled through parts of three states, rushed out of the abandoned mine last week after an Environmental Protection Agency team disturbed a dam of loose rock lodged in the mine.

Disasters have been declared by the governors of Colorado and New Mexico, and Navajo officials are concerned as the rivers affected are critical to survival on the nation’s largest American Indian reservation and in other parts of the Southwest.

Signs have been posted, warning people to stay out of the water. Farmers aren’t irrigating, and communities have closed water intake systems.

Approximately 30,000 acres of crops raised by the Navajos are in danger without irrigation.

The EPA administrator reported the EPA was taking responsibility to ensure the spill is cleaned up.

It’s tragic that an agency responsible for a safe environment also is responsible for the disaster affecting such a widespread area. While not wishing to kick an agency when it’s down, there sometimes is the feeling that particular agency has “a holier than thou” attitude when others cause pollution.

Some of the metals reportedly have settled to the river bottoms and will dissolve if conditions become acidic – but experts say that isn’t likely.

The EPA reports current flows are too fast for the contaminants to create an immediate health threat, and heavy metals likely will be diluted over time so they don’t pose a longer-term threat, either.

How can the EPA be sure? If they’re not an immediate health threat, why is public access to the two rivers closed until Aug. 17?

Also, what about the long-term effects?

Immediate action and long-term monitoring arevital in this toxic tragedy.