The Colorado mine spill that took place on Monday, which led Gov. John Hickenlooper to declare a state of emergency, is approximately three times larger than earlier estimates, reported NBC News.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a statement on Sunday that 3 million gallons of wastewater had spilled, compared to the initial statement of 1 million.
According to the EPA, the spill occured when one of its teams accidentally caused the contaminated water of the Gold King Mine to flow into the Animas River in the historic town of Silverton, instead of pumping and treated the water as planned.
The stretch of wastewater stretches 100 miles and is likely laced with heavy metals such as lead and arsenic, reported Yahoo! News.
"The magnitude of it, you can't even describe it," said New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez. "It's like when I flew over the fires, your mind sees something it's not ready or adjusted to see."
As of Monday, the EPA reported that only one fish had died due to the spill, although whether it was due to the metals in the water in unclear. EPA toxicologist Deborah McKean said that the sludge moved at a quick enough pace that it would not have caused significant health risked to the animals that consumed it.
The wastewater is headed toward Utah and Montezuma Creek, located near the town of Bluff, a popular tourist destination. With a population of just a few hundred, the town is known for its scenic sandstone bluffs.
Testing on local drinking water and identification of metals of concern contained in the spill will be conducted, reported CNN.
Health risks to humans and aquatic life are still unclear.
