Congress Wades Into Gold King Mine Spill

The focus on a toxic mine spill that fouled rivers in three Western states is shifting to Congress, where lawmakers this week kick off a series of hearings into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accident.

Leading House and Senate Republicans said EPA officials were frustrating their attempts to investigate the spill.

• EPA: Workers At Gold King Mine Were Initially Trapped By Flood

• Toxic Mine Blowout Was 'Likely Inevitable,' Protocols Lacking, EPA Says

They want documents released explaining how a government cleanup team doing excavation work triggered the release of 3 million gallons of rust-colored sludge from the inactive Gold King Mine near Silverton,Colorado.

U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas suggested the hearings offer the agency a chance to dispel growing suspicions over its actions.

Meanwhile, some Democrats are pursuing a proposal for companies to pay for the cleanup of thousands of abandoned mines across the U.S.