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KSJD Newscast - October 16th, 2015

  • Study shows that community costs of excessive drinking are especially high in Colorado and New Mexico.
  • Visitors will soon be paying more to camp in Colorado’s State Parks.
  • EPA says water sent to Navajo Nation farmers after Gold King Mine spill met federal and tribal standards for livestock and irrigation.

The community costs of excessive drinking are especially high in two Four Corners states. New Mexico and Colorado rank No. 3 and No. 5 nationwide for cost per capita of excess alcohol consumption. That’s according to a study newly released by the Centers for Disease Control. The study, based on data from 2010, calculated 26 costs associated with drinking such as health care, criminal justice, and lost productivity. The District of Columbia had the highest per-capita cost and Alaska was second. The study says excessive alcohol consumption causes about one in 10 deaths nationwide among working-age adults, it cost the country $249 billion in 2010, and many of the costs are paid by taxpayers. The study recommends measures such as increasing alcohol excise taxes and limiting the density of alcohol outlets.

Visitors will soon be paying more to camp in Colorado’s State Parks. On Friday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced that fees for basic camping as well as electric, full hook-up and cabin/yurt camping will increase November 1st at all 33 parks where camping is available.

Water sent to Navajo Nation farmers following the disastrous Gold King Mine spill in August met federal and tribal standards for livestock and irrigation. That’s according to the  Environmental Protection Agency, which released the results this week. Navajo officials had insisted the emergency water supply that was delivered in tanks by a contractor contained oil and rust and was not suitable for use. The announcement comes as a $1.8 million temporary treatment plant is set to start removing metals from wastewater still draining from the mine. A permanent solution to the problems of contamination from historic mines in Colorado’s headwaters remains elusive.

Gail Binkly is a career journalist who has worked for the Colorado Springs Gazette and Cortez Journal, and was the editor of the Four Corners Free Press, based in Cortez.
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