The waste came from an abandoned mining operation and turned the entire river a disgusting shade of bright orange.

The EPA admitted earlier this week that the spill occurred while workers from the agency were using heavy machinery to open the Gold King Mine, an operation that was shut down some time ago. While trying to enter the mine, the machines busted a shaft that was filled with wastewater, creating a leak into the river.

At first, the EPA attempted to downplay the spill and act like there was nothing wrong, but they were heavily criticized for those initial statements.

Dave Ostrander, the EPA's regional director told reporters in a later statement that "It's hard being on the other side of this."

"We are very sorry for what happened. This is a huge tragedy. It's hard being on the other side of this. Typically we respond to emergencies; we don't cause them. … It's something we sincerely regret," he said.

However, some people are not willing to let the EPA off that easily, even some politicians have rightly pointed out that the EPA should be treated in the same way that any company or private individual would be treated if they poisoned the river.