CamrynSippy

ProjectReflection

Atthebeginningofthisproject,IwasexcitedtolearnmoreabouttheGoldKingMine
spill,yetIwasdreadingtheinterview.TheinterviewportionscaredmebecauseIwouldhaveto
interviewapossiblestrangerabouthowtheywereaffectedbythespillandtheirthoughtsonthe
matter.YetonceIscheduledmyinterview,Iwaseagertohearwhatmyintervieweehadtosay
onthesubjectandtogainnewinsight.Afterdoingtheinterview,Irealizedthattheinformation
thatIlearnedthroughtheinterviewwaswaymorehelpfulthananythingIhadresearchedprior.
Notonlywastheinterviewinformationpackedbecausemyintervieweehaslivedherehiswhole
life,butformeitcleareduphowharmfulthespillactuallywasandhowhistoryhasplayedinto
theevent.IfoundthisinterviewtobegreatlybeneficialtomyownperspectivebecauseIgotto
hearthefactsinamorepersonalandconnectableway.Onceitwasover,myinterviewee,
lifelongDurangoresidentEdZink,divulgedmoredetailedinformationthatheknewaboutthe
spillandthehistoryonthematter.IwishIcouldhaveincludeditintherecordingforeveryone
elsetohear.Allinall,IbelievethatthisinterviewprojectwasasuccessandIdontthinkI
wouldhavelearnedasmuchhaditbeenpresentedinadifferentway.

Sincetheevent,thespillfromtheGoldKingMinehasbeenatopicofcontroversyand
debateregardingthehealthofthepublicandtheenvironment.Duetothecolorandperceived
contaminantsinthewatercomingfromthebreachinthemine,thespillhasbeenseenastoxic
anddamagingtoboththehumanpopulationandtheenvironment.Yetduetothenatureofthe
spillandthecontaminantsthatcamefromthemine,thegeneralpopulationshouldntbeas
worriedasoriginallythought.Inthearticle
AnimasRiver:LongtermImpactsofWastewater
SpillLieBeneaththeCurrent,theauthordiscussedthepotentiallongtermeffectsfromthe
metalinthewater:

Earlier,thestateexposed108rainbowtroutfingerlingstothefouledriver
water.Onlytwodie.itcouldbeeithertheconcentrationsweren'thighenoughtokilloffthe
fish,ortheexposuretimewasn'thighenoughtokilloffthefish.(1).Thevividcolorofthe
waterscaredusintothinkingthatthespillwasgoingtobetheendgamefortheecological
populationintheriver.Thisshowsthatwhilethisaccidentpollutedtheriverfurther,thisexact
spillwasntasharmfultothefishandplantpopulationaswewereoriginallytold.

Despitewhatthegeneralpublichasbeenledtobelieveaboutthisspill,itwasntthefirst
ofitskind.
ThemetalcontaminantsthatleechedintotheAnimasRiverarenotonlynaturally
occurring,buthavebeentravellingdownadozenoftimesinthepastcentury.
Therehasbeenat
least10spillslikethisonethathaveoccurredinthisriversinceIwasborn.Allofthemhave
rangedinblackorsilvertotheorangesthatwesawduringthisspill.Thisspillwasprobablythe
firstofthisexactvibrantorangecolor.Theriverwasstainedorangeduetotheironoxideand
othernaturallyoccurringmetalsthatstainthemountainssurroundingSilvertonandOuray.

(PersonalinterviewwithEdZink9/13/15)Whilethisonemayhavebeenthefirstofitsshocking
color,itwasoneofthemilderspills.InthearticleWhenOurRiverTurnedOrange,author
JonathanThompsonexplainsthehistoryofprevioustoxicriverspills:InJuneof1975,ahuge
tailingspileonthebanksoftheAnimasRivernortheastofSilvertonwasbreached,dumpingtens
ofthousandsofgallonsofwater,alongwith50,000tonsofheavymetalloadedtailingsintothe
Animas.For100milesdownstream,theriverlookedlikealuminumpaint,accordingtoa

DurangoHerald
reporteratthetimefishplacedinacageinthewaterinDurangoalldied
within24hours.(1).Incomparisontotherecentspill,the1975tailingsspillprovedtobefar
moretoxicanddestructivetotheriveranditsinhabitants.ThishistoryoftheAnimasriverand
itscleanlinessshouldbeusedtohelpputintoperspectivetheseverityandthedamageofthe
recentevents.

TheAnimasRiverSpillhasbeenacontroversialanddifficulttopicforeveryoneinvolved
becausetherearesomanyquestionsandopinions.Theseopinionsandquestionscaused
everyonetotakeaside.Itsbeensaidthatduringanenvironmentaldisaster,peoplecome
togethertohelponeanothergetthroughthathardtimeyetduringamanmadedisaster,itsthe
opposite.Sinceagovernmentforcewasinvolvedwiththespill,peoplechosesidesandtriedput
theblameononeparty.Afterdoingthisproject,Ihaverealizedthatrefiningmyownperson
perspectivewasessentialformetoconductusefulandmeaningfulresearchandhelpme
understandthesituation.Bydoingthis,Ivebeenabletomakemyownpersonalizedperspective
ontheeventandnotjustconformtotheideasofthegeneralcrowd.

WorksCited
WhenOurRiverTurnedOrange,
HighCountryNews
,August9,2015
AnimasRiver:LongtermImpactsofWastewaterSpillLieBeneaththeCurrent,
TheDenver
Post
,August18,2015
Zink,Ed.PersonalInterview.13Sept.2015.