In the 1990s, sections of the Animas had been nominated by the EPA as a Superfund site for pollutants from the Gold King Mine and other mining operations along the river, but lack of community support prevented its listing.[5] Locals had feared that the label of a Superfund site would reduce the tourism in the area, the largest remaining source of income left in the region after the closure of the metal mines

That’s from Wikipedia. The locals who opposed the cleanup happening earlier should now get their shovels and work for the EPA for free.