Navajo Nation Sues Feds Over Massive Mine Waste Spill

SHIPROCK, N.M. (AP) — One of the nation's largest American Indian tribes is suing the federal government over a massive mine waste spill that tainted rivers in three Western states. Attorneys for the Navajo Nation filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday. The tribe joins the state of New Mexico in pursuing legal action in the wake of the August 2015 spill. Tribal officials pointed to delays and resistance, saying the EPA has failed to compensate Navajos for their losses or provide any meaningful recovery. A federal contractor triggered the spill during preliminary cleanup work at a mine site in southwestern Colorado. Three million gallons of wastewater carrying arsenic, lead and other heavy metals affected rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. The EPA has said it takes responsibility for cleaning up the spill but wouldn't comment on the lawsuit.