restrictions and emergency responses in colorado, in new mexico, in utah, on the southern ute reservation and the navajo nation. you need only to look at the photos of bright orange water streaming through these various drainages to see how terrible this spill was for affected communities and for water users. the gold king mine spill placed a heavy burden on states and tribes, on local governments and communities, and the spill hurt businesses, farmers and ranchers throughout the region. since the spill, i have visited impacted ingredients and communities, worked closely with local and state and tribal leaders to make sure that water is monitored for contaminants and that the costs from the spill are repaid. last year, i was proud to help pass a measure in congress that will ensure that state and local and tribal governments will be fully reimbursed for their emergency response costs, and which establishes a long-term water quality monitoring program in cooperation with those local stakeholders. however, on january 13 of this year, the e.p.a. and the department of justice issued an outrageous decision t