Navajo Nation sues feds over massive 2015 mine waste spill

Leaders of one of the nation's largest American Indian tribes blasted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as their attorneys sued Tuesday, claiming negligence in the cleanup of a massive mine waste spill that tainted rivers in three Western states.

Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye stood on the bank of the San Juan River in northwestern New Mexico and explained his people's link to the water and the economic, cultural and psychological damage inflicted in the wake of the August 2015 spill in southwestern Colorado.

Tribal officials at the news conference and in the lawsuit pointed to delays and resistance by the EPA, saying the agency has failed to compensate Navajos for their losses or provide any meaningful recovery efforts over the past year.

While the lawsuit doesn't include an exact dollar figure for damages the tribe is seeking, Begaye said Navajos are owed "millions" and that the scope of the contamination is still unknown.

A criminal investigation into the spill is being conducted by the EPA's Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Justice Department, but it's unclear how long that probe could take.