DURANGO, Colo. (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to drill this summer into the collapsed entrance of a mine in Colorado that is at risk of a blowout.
The Durango Herald reports Thursday that erosion at the Bandora Mine, which has not been used for decades, has caused dirt and rock to pile over it. The mine is west of Sliverton.
An unknown amount of water is backed up behind the mine’s entrance and runs the risk of rupturing.
While the EPA says there is no indication the mine will rupture any time soon, the risk to the surrounding community and the thousands of campers who visit the South Mineral Creek area every summer makes the initiative necessary.