Project Reflection

Though coming into this project was slightly terrifying knowing that I would have to do
an interview with a random person that has been affected by the Gold King mine spill, I
surprisingly had a very easy time getting my interview and was amazed how much I learned
from it. I interviewed Silverton resident Bill MacDougall and was able to both clarify and
confuse my perspective on having Silverton become a Superfund site. Bill brought up how if this
spill had happened at during the winter or early spring before the spring runoff it would have a
worse ecological impact by leaving metals all over the Silverton valley. Or if it had happened
during the past spring runoff how it may have brought all of those toxins and metals way over
the banks of the river that were already being taunted, leaving their valley and our own possibly
ruined. If I could redo my interview I would have not pushed the stop button on my recorder so
soon and tried to get another interview with someone who may have had a different perspective.
After we finished the interview Bill MacDougall and myself continued to conversate for the next
fifteen minutes and I wish I could have captured that as well. I was completely amazed and
surprised about what I got from Bill. I went into my interview not knowing what perspective he
had on the spill, or that he had been there at the spill and helped with the Lake Emma spill. He
seemed almost amused that I was unaware how connected he was to this issue, and Im sure it
was funny because I was sincerely intent and amazed by what he was saying.
Though I read many articles, listened to the youth of Silverton, took my peers
perspectives into consideration, and interviewed Bill MacDougall, I have yet to come to a
conclusive outlook regarding the Animas river spill. The issue with the Animas River being toxic
and deadly is not new. Three years ago in the Durango Herald, Dale Rodebaugh reported on how
the toxicity levels in Silverton Colorado were posing a problem for the local ecosystem:
Invertebrates would not survive in Cement Creek and would experience high stress in Mineral
Creek and the Animas River in the vicinity of Silverton. Fish also couldnt live in Cement Creek
and would be under high stress in Mineral Creek and the Animas around Silverton.
(Rodebaugh) To me this is very concerning and is issue that should have been dealt with years
ago. Though I was aware of these overlooked ecological dilemmas, Camryn brought evidence
from her interview stating that the fish were not affected directly from the river spill, but it was
their food and surrounding ecosystem that was then killing them. Her opinion provided no
definite answer for me because the fish have always been impacted by the continuous flow of
toxins and mine tailings from old mines into the Animas River.
There are many reason for and against designating Silverton as a Superfund site, but a
common belief among citizens from different communities is that the water must be taken care
of. Richard Parker, a reporter from the Atlantic, says we must do it for the fish and the animals
that consume these fish, Far more than a sport fish, the trout is a living filter, a sample, of the
river itself. It not only rakes hyper-oxygenated water over its gills but soaks up the river itself
through the permeable membranes of its body.(Parker) We dont spend everyday swimming in
the river, but the clarity of the river does impact the the ecosystem and the livelihoods of
hundreds. In the article Animas River Spill Unleashes Potential Disaster on Navajo Nation

Miriam Wasser states how the Navajo Nation farmer have been affected by the spill: Thousands
of acres of farmland could dry up, and hundreds of families could see their primary source of
income disappear.(Wasser, 1) People are relying on the river to provide water for their farms, as
a place for recreational profit, a place to regain sanity, and a beautiful place to both live in and
visit. We must clean the water, it should not be an option anymore to wait while these timebombs
get closer to exploding. We must do it for us, the environment, and for the freedom of future
generations.
One of the most powerful things I learned was how much of an impact we can be creating
though this project for both this generation and future generations. We have the power right now
to create a change and actually make the world a better place. Jeff Snowbarger makes an
interesting point in his article Letter from Colorado: On the Dirty, Deep-seated Origins of the
Animas River Spill about how we take our freedom for granted and has left the future in a
disaster(Snowbarger, 3). I loved reading this and realizing how true this is for this has already
happened to us as well. We need to be the generation to be considerate, productive, and
responsive to the problem to insure a free and healthy life for future generations. Learning
about Storycorps and creating an interview will also help insure this future. I didnt quite
understand the power of Storycorps until I was doing my interview with Bill MacDougall and
was completely blown away. Knowing that I would be sharing it publicly makes this project feel
so powerful and like it could actually have an impact in the world. It is in our ability to create
change through social media and programs like Storycorps to solve our problems for the future.