Friction continued Wednesday between state and federal officials over whether it's safe to reopen the Animas River in southern Colorado to recreation one week after 3 million gallons of spilled mine waste turned the waters a sickish mustard color.
Colorado officials insist that the concentration of metals in the river is decreasing and want the river reopened to boating and fishing, both crucial elements of the state’s economy. And they want the federal Environmental Protection Agency, whose workers triggered the spill last week at the Gold King Mine, to move faster in its assessment of the river’s health.