EmilyVierling

Humanities11
September22,2015

VoicesFromtheAnimasProjectReflection

IwasveryexcitedwhenIheardthatIwouldgettointerviewanenvironmentaladvocateforthisproject.
Mypassionfortheenvironmentanditshealthfueledmyanticipationfortheinterview.Idecidedto
interviewmymarinebiologymentor,JacquelineBoudreau,whocurrentlylivesinMaine,butworkedin
DurangoontheAnimasRiverforafewyears.IhavehadthepleasureofknowingJackieforafewyears
now.Sheissuchaninspirationalpersonandreallylitthatfirewithinmetopursuemarinebiology.
However,Iknewthatshewasalsoverypassionateabouttheriverandthatshewascrushedwhenshe
heardthenewsabouttheminespill.IconductedtheinterviewonSunday,September20,2015viaskype.
Ithinkitwouldvebeenmucheasierthroughaliveinterview,butsincesheiscurrentlyresidinginMaine,
Iwasunableto.Theinterviewwasanabsolutelyamazingexperience.Jackiewassoengrossedinher
answersandyoucouldhearthroughhervoicethatthistopicwassomethingthatshewasextremely
vehementabout.Herresponsesreallymademethinkabouttheenvironmentalimpactsnowandinthe
future.Pertainingtofutureimpacts,shewasmostconcernedwiththespringrunoffandtheothertoxins
thatwerebroughtdownfromSilvertonmixingwiththereplumedorangesludge.Themostchallenging
partofmyinterviewwasgettingitstarted.Ineededtoaskaquestionthatwouldsparktherestofthe
interview.Itwasthebasequestion.Idecidedtostartbyaskingheraboutherpersonalconnectionstothe
river.Ithoughtthiswasafairlygoodprompttostartonsincethatquestionwouldcarryontoherlineof
workandwhy,especially,shewassopassionateabouttheriver.Oncetheinterviewgotstarted,itfelt
naturalpullingsubquestionsfromthemainideaorfromstatementsmadebyJackie.Jackiegreatly
influencedmyperspectiveonthisissue.Shemademeanalyzeandcriticallythinkabouttheissueand
howit,alongwithpreviouspollution,coulddramaticallyimpacttheenvironment,nowandinthefuture.
ItmademydesirefornotonlySilverton,butotherhistoricminingtownstocleanuptheabandonedmines
evenstronger.Ilovedconductinganinterviewforthisproject.Ratherthanhearingsomethingfroma
publishedsource,Igottohavetheexperiencetotalkandcommunicatewitha
real
person.Apersonisso
mucheasiertounderstandthanapieceofwriting.Icouldunderstandwherethey,asanindividual,were
comingfromandIcouldhaveastrongerconnectionwiththepersonIwasinterviewingthanIwouldwith
apieceofwriting.Anabsolutelyamazingexperienceallowsforanabsolutelyamazingoutcome,andthat
iswhatmyperspectivehasevolvedintobytalkingandlisteningtoJackie.

ThroughoutthisprojectIhavedevelopedasophisticatedandknowledgebasedperspectiveonthisissue.
Thenationrecognizedthespillbecauseofitscolorwhichbroughtattentiontotheconstantpollutionof
theAnimas.BasedontheresearchthatIveconducted,theinterview,andtheperspectivesthatIveheard,
Ivebeenabletoformulateaclearandconciseperspective.I,asanindividual,amverypassionateabout
theenvironmentandhowitistreatedattheexpenseofhumanconsumption.Theseabandonedminesare
slowlyleakingtoxicchemicalsintotheriver,killingofmanyspeciesoffishandendangeringthe
environment.CementCreekissotoxicthatitcannotsupportlifenorcananyonetouchordrinkitwithout
risks.IbelievethatSilvertonshoulddowhateverisnecessarytopreventfurthercontaminationofthe
river,meaningacceptingtheSuperFund.IunderstandwhereSilvertoniscomingfrominthesensethat

theyareafraidthattheSuperFundwillimpacttheirtourism,realtyrates,andnottomention,takeaway
theirhistoricallyrecognizedmines.AsstatedbySteveFearn,acocoordinatoroftheAnimasRiver
StakeholdersGroupandatownresident,IwanttoseeSilvertonbecomeasuccessful,vibrantcommunity
again.Rightnow,itisnt,andminingistheonethingwehave(Fearn).However,intheend,by
comparingSilvertonsuncertainoutcomewithotherSuperFundsites,movingforwardwiththe
SuperFundmayhavemorebenefitsratherthannegativesforSilverton.IfyoulookatLeadville,the
SuperFundactuallygrewtheeconomy.TheSuperFundisshowntohaveincreasedrealtyandtourism
ratesandtohavemadethetownbeknownasasafeandnoncontaminatedarea,includingwaterways,
attractingtourism,homebuyers,andbusinesses.Nottomention,theSuperFundalsoallowedfor
Leadvilletoopenupamountainbikingtrailneartheabandonedmines,whichthankstotheSuperFundis
nolongerahealthconcern.AccordingtotheEPA,Sitecleanuphasbeenoneofmanyimportantfactors
contributingtotourismandrecreationgrowthinthearea.InLakeCounty,overnighttravelspending
generated$30.5millioninrevenue,$800,000inlocaltaxes,360jobsand$8.8millioninwagesin2012.

WhatIamultimatelymostconcernedwithisthehealthoftheenvironment,specificallyextendedtothe
wildlifeaffectedinnotjustthisincident,butothersaswell.PollutionisnotnewtotheAnimas,Between
2005and2010,threeoutoffourofthefishspeciesthatlivedintheUpperAnimasbeneathSilvertondied.
AccordingtostudiesbytheU.S.GeologicalSurvey,thevolumeofinsectsandthenumberofbugspecies
haveplummeted.Andsince2006,USGSscientistshavefoundthatthewaterflowingunderBakers
Bridgethendownstream,intoDurangocarriesconcentrationsofzincthataretoxictoanimallife
(OlivariusMcallister).PollutionhascausedastrainonthepopulationsoffishspeciesintheAnimas
River,specificallytheUpperAnimas,rightbelowwhereallthetoxicchemicalsarebeingdepositedby
theleakage.WithinthepasttenyearswaterqualityintheAnimashasgottenmuchworse.Thiswasone
spilloutofmany,howeveritwasnationallyrecognizedbecauseofitsterrifyinghue.Stillmoredamaging
pollutionincidentshavetakenplaceinthesamevicinityinpastyears,includingadisastrous1975
dischargetotheAnimasofmetalloadedminetailingsandadischargeofroughly500milliongallonsof
wastewaterin1978.However,manyoftheseincidents,includingthisone,wereboundtohappen.
Becausethesemineswerepluggedthatcausedwaterbuilduptohappen.Withtheimmenseamountof
pressurethatwaswithintheminewhentheEPAwenttopumpoutthewatertorelievepressure,itwasnt
surprisingthatthisblowoutoftoxicwaterhappened.TheGoldKingMineisnttheonlyexampleofthis
either,therearethousandsofminesacrossthecountrythatareabandonedandareslowlyleakingtoxic
chemicalsintostreamsandriversbecauseofthemassivewaterbuildupwithin.AsJoelMintzstates,
Theyconstituteatickingtimebombthatcouldcauseadditional,massiveandspontaneoustoxic
dischargesintoriversatanytime(Mintz).Thefutureimpactsofthisspillareuncertain.Withthespring
runoff,theorangesludgesittingatthebottomoftheriverbedwillreplume.Withmoretoxicchemicals
rushingdownfromSilvertonMountain,whoknowswhatmoreourriverwillendure.Ultimately,Iwant
thisproblemofconstantpollutionwithintheAnimastobesolved.Itisimportantthatwetreatour
environmentwithrespectandmakesurethatitshealthisoftheutmostpriority.Ithinkthatsomething
goodcancomeoutofthisdisasterinthesensethatthepollutionoftheAnimasRiverisnownationally
recognizedandthereisachancetodosomethingaboutit.

IwasdrivingwhenIfirstsawpeoplegatheringalongthebridge,lookingdown.Ipulledovertoseewhat
allthecommotionwasabout.WhenIfirstsawtheriver,whichisusuallyagorgeousemeraldhue,turned

intoaorangemineralsludge,itwaslikesomethinghitmerightinthegut.Iwasmadandsad,mixed
emotionshitasIthoughtofwhathappened,whatcausedmybeautifulrivertoturnsuchaterrifying
color?Ihavealwaysbeenanadvocateforthehealthoftheriverandhealthoftheenvironmentingeneral.
Thisincidentmademeevenmorepassionateaboutthehealthoftheenvironmentwithinmycommunity.
Toseemysurroundingenvironmentandeconomyindespairbroughtmetomyknees.Iamsogladthat
wegotthechancetoresearchthisforHumanities.IfeellikeIhaveaconnectionwiththeriver,now.I
empathizewithitandallthelifewithinitforalltheyearsithasenduredofthistoxicpollution.Thisevent
helpedmetodiscoveranewperspectiveontheriver.Before,Ididntreallythinkabouttheminewaste
effectontheriver,butnowIwanttobeinvolvedinpreventingthatasmuchaspossible.Thiseventalso
allowedmetodevelopanewperspectiveonthecommunity.Inowrealizethatourriverisourcoreasa
community.ItkeepsDurangoaliveitisourbeatingheartandwithoutitwecannotlive.