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Report: South Platte Most Polluted In Colorado

DENVER (AP) -- An environmental group says the South Platte River is the most polluted waterway in Colorado.

Environment Colorado released a report Thursday based on Environmental Protection Agency statistics from 2010. The group says that industrial facilities released more than 700,000 pounds of toxic chemicals into Colorado rivers that year, with a third ending up in the South Platte.

The chemicals include benzene, mercury and arsenic.

The group says that nearly 70 percent of the state's rivers and streams may not be protected under the federal Clean Water Act and it wants the Obama administration to take steps to clarify that the law applies to all waterways.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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