The social impacts of the Gold King mine spill: an interdisciplinary approach

Abstract

On August 5th, 2015, 3 million gallons of mustard-yellow mine wastewater was unleashed onto Cement Creek, the Animas River, and eventually the mighty San Juan river. In the days, weeks, and months that followed, a glaring question presented itself. Who's to blame? The event brought up long-existing problems and questions about the state of water quality in the San Juan mountains. In this study, we focus on the perspective of 3 of the biggest agents: the town of Silverton, the city of Durango, and the Navajo Nation. Each of these actors have an independent newspaper which presents a valuable look into how the local community perceived this event. By analyzing keywords, impactful quotes, and unique phrasing, we were able to gauge the response to each community over time. According to a preliminary sample of the Durango Herald (Durango's local newspaper), the EPA was the primary group blamed for the spill with no one at fault being the next largest group. This can help us contextualize Durango and La Plata County when comparing this to other impacted areas and historical information. By analyzing the local newspapers in impacted areas, we are able to gain a better idea of both the local impact and perception of the event, leading to more objective, educated understanding of the catastrophe.