Voices of the Animas
This project looked into the ideology and perspectives of the Gold King Mine spill. We investigated background information on the events leading up to the mine spill, the different perspectives on who was responsible for the spill, and how we can prevent this from happening again. We started by going to Silverton, CO to interview and speak with community members who live close to the spill site. We continued with finding more information about the mine and the spill and interviewed people affected by the spill who live along the Animas River corridor. We combined the information and interviews in an exhibition at the Fair Grounds. It consisted of Story Corp interviews, water chemistry, personal interviews, and a forum for family and friends to add their own thoughts and comments about potential long term affects.
Learning about the Gold King Mine spill has brought to light that this is a long term problem that needs immediate attention. It is not just the EPAs fault for the spill occurring, it is an acid mine problem. The EPA caused the breach, but the long term mining is the cause of the problem. Pinpointing the person or company at fault is not attainable. The relationship between progress and stewardship is a finer line than we would like to admit. There needs to be progress but it may not be worth it if it is destroying the earth. Time has shown that progress for profits sake is not sustainable and we have reached a point where we must become stewards of the land to fix the environmental disasters of previous generations.
Beginning the interview process was challenging in that the person I was to interview in Silverton did not call me back. I am unsure if this was because they did not want to talk about the spill or because I am a student or if they just decided not to call back. Whatever the reason this made it difficult to conduct any kind of interview and I had to track down a community member willing to speak about the spill. Our class interviews of people in the community gave the problem a more human view. Reading articles did not give the situation a human feel. Human emotion is what connects us and allows an open dialog that promotes change. A difficult part of the interview process was to keep the interviewee speaking on the subject. Some people did not want to give their input and others had a lot to say and were very passionate. It showed another human side of how the spill affected people on a personal level. Conducting my interview, my interviewee stated that she was glad the spill occurred because it was an eyeopener and promoted change. I felt this was an interesting perspective that I had not heard before and it made me rethink my views on the issue. I would have liked to have pursued the Silverton contact more vigorously or found someone with a position of authority in the community to interview. I wish I had more time for the interview process. It felt rushed.
My biggest take away is that the community really cares about the river. Everyone wanted to make change and work together to find a way to make it happen. At the Expo, I was in the second group and most of the people had left by the time I got there. I missed out on speaking with community members and only was able to speak with other students family members. I was disappointed to not be able to speak with a greater variety of people. I think the multiple stations worked well and allowed people to listen to the stories and also move around to get more information. The forum to add questions and comments was also nice because it provided a place for the community to voice their thoughts and opinions.
I love the river and through rafting and especially kayaking have a personal relationship with the river. When the spill occurred it was a major blow to me about how we take care of and treat the river. This project gave me an even deeper appreciation for healthy rivers and how my actions can affect my environment. I liked this project because it wasn’t just about me or my family but was the larger community. It brought the town, and the larger Animas River corridor, together on an issue that affects us all. My hope for myself and the community at large is to not forget about what happened but work to fix the problem in a safe and meaningful way that can keep the river healthy for future generations. I understand that not everyone agrees on how to protect the river. Whether it be via Superfund or private community effort, I do know that everyone cares for the life blood of our region.
Learning about the Gold King Mine spill has brought to light that this is a long term problem that needs immediate attention. It is not just the EPAs fault for the spill occurring, it is an acid mine problem. The EPA caused the breach, but the long term mining is the cause of the problem. Pinpointing the person or company at fault is not attainable. The relationship between progress and stewardship is a finer line than we would like to admit. There needs to be progress but it may not be worth it if it is destroying the earth. Time has shown that progress for profits sake is not sustainable and we have reached a point where we must become stewards of the land to fix the environmental disasters of previous generations.
Beginning the interview process was challenging in that the person I was to interview in Silverton did not call me back. I am unsure if this was because they did not want to talk about the spill or because I am a student or if they just decided not to call back. Whatever the reason this made it difficult to conduct any kind of interview and I had to track down a community member willing to speak about the spill. Our class interviews of people in the community gave the problem a more human view. Reading articles did not give the situation a human feel. Human emotion is what connects us and allows an open dialog that promotes change. A difficult part of the interview process was to keep the interviewee speaking on the subject. Some people did not want to give their input and others had a lot to say and were very passionate. It showed another human side of how the spill affected people on a personal level. Conducting my interview, my interviewee stated that she was glad the spill occurred because it was an eyeopener and promoted change. I felt this was an interesting perspective that I had not heard before and it made me rethink my views on the issue. I would have liked to have pursued the Silverton contact more vigorously or found someone with a position of authority in the community to interview. I wish I had more time for the interview process. It felt rushed.
My biggest take away is that the community really cares about the river. Everyone wanted to make change and work together to find a way to make it happen. At the Expo, I was in the second group and most of the people had left by the time I got there. I missed out on speaking with community members and only was able to speak with other students family members. I was disappointed to not be able to speak with a greater variety of people. I think the multiple stations worked well and allowed people to listen to the stories and also move around to get more information. The forum to add questions and comments was also nice because it provided a place for the community to voice their thoughts and opinions.
I love the river and through rafting and especially kayaking have a personal relationship with the river. When the spill occurred it was a major blow to me about how we take care of and treat the river. This project gave me an even deeper appreciation for healthy rivers and how my actions can affect my environment. I liked this project because it wasn’t just about me or my family but was the larger community. It brought the town, and the larger Animas River corridor, together on an issue that affects us all. My hope for myself and the community at large is to not forget about what happened but work to fix the problem in a safe and meaningful way that can keep the river healthy for future generations. I understand that not everyone agrees on how to protect the river. Whether it be via Superfund or private community effort, I do know that everyone cares for the life blood of our region.
https://storycorps.me/interviews/voices-of-the-animas-carol-and-ahs-student-keegan-hickerson/
https://storycorps.me/page/3/?s=%23Voicesfromtheanimas&post_type=interviews
https://storycorps.me/page/3/?s=%23Voicesfromtheanimas&post_type=interviews