A Colorful Colorado Super Fund Site
December 2023
In August of 2015, the EPA accidentally released 3 million gallons of the Gold King Mine’s wastewater into the Las Animas River, directly north of Silverton Colorado. Heavy metals in the wastewater, including lead and arsenic, resulted in the river’s change in color to bright orange and reached as far south as Durango, CO. Shortly after, in 2016, this area, known as the Bonita Peak Mining District, was deemed a Superfund Site by the EPA.
A Superfund Site is defined by the EPA as a region in need of environmental investigation and cleanup due to the release of hazardous substances that may pose serious health risks to the people and environment in the area.
Silverton, CO is the most densely populated town directly downstream from the Gold King Mine spill. The goal of this work is to provide residents in Silverton with informational resources, provided by the EPA, regarding the Superfund Site near them. These resources also provide residents with updates regarding clean-up efforts and opportunities for involvement.
The Las Animas River (2015) after the Gold King Mine Spill, as it runs through Durango. Here the Las Animas runs next to a fish hatchery. This photograph is by Jonathan Thompson and “High Country News”.
Post Cards
Three different versions of “Welcome to a Colorful Colorado Superfund Site” postcards were created for the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund Site. The resulting postcard formatted in landscape was the version sent out to the 97 addresses designated for this portion of the work. In the future, the other two postcard designs can be sent to more residents in the area.
Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund Site
This map represents the Superfund Site of Bonita Peak Mining District designated by the EPA. The map also shows the various mines in the area, the Las Animas River, and Silverton, CO’s proximity to these features.
Parcels owned by Post Card Recipients
This map shows the parcels owned by residents of Silverton who received a postcard. This includes 97 recipients and around 1800 parcels owned between them. The majority of postcards were sent to PO Boxes while some postcards were sent out of state to places such as Florida, Texas, New Mexico, etc. During data filtering, recipients were chosen based on their proximity to the main streets of Silverton and private residences were prioritized.