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Test Results On River Contamination Expected Wednesday

Rita Daniels/KUNM
The NMED has collected nearly 500 well water samples so far.

Communities along the Animas and San Juan rivers are still waiting on test results from the Gold King Mine spill. The first round of test results from the toxic plume’s impact on the rivers near Farmington aren't expected until Wednesday.

AntonitaNunes lives along the riverbank a few miles downstream from Farmington. She says she’s very concerned about possible effects on people and livestock and wants to know what the levels of contaminants are in the river.

“I take my dogs down there every day after work," she said, "so now they’re like 'oh gosh we can’t go to the river?' No, I won’t even say the r-word.”

Nunes says she’s particularly concerned about the heavy metals. The EPA is expecting to see lead, copper and arsenic in the water samples. The feds and the state environment department are working together in the region to sample private wells in the flood plains.

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