While the Cuyahoga River has had its share of challenges, none compare to the catastrophe going on in Colorado.
An Environmental Protection Agency project to reduce pollution seeping into the Animas River resulted in a breach that caused an estimated 3 million gallons of gold-mine wastewater to rush into the river, turning the water mustard yellow and leaving officials scrambling to assess the damage while residents seek answers and await test results.
As an agency prepared to respond to HAZMAT situations, I asked our Water Quality & Industrial Surveillance team how we might respond to a disaster like this had anything like it struck the Cuyahoga River.
Scott Broski put it pretty bluntly.
"In terms of control, based on what has been released and the volume, I’m not sure what anyone can do to control a spill of this magnitude." Scott is the Superintendent of Environmental Services, and said a major challenge in this situation is an inability to strategically collect the material.
