The city of Durango and La Plata County, Colorado, have declared a state of emergency after a federal cleanup crew accidentally released 1 million gallons of mine waste out of an abandoned mine area, turning the Animas River orange with pollutants of arsenic, lead, copper, aluminium and cadmium. The Environmental Protection Agency told locals to avoid the area amid grave concerns as to the ability of local elected officials to ensure that all appropriate levels of state and federal resources are brought to bear to assist the community not only in actively managing this tragic incident but also to recover from it. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have been watching for effects on wildlife since the incident began.