I was curious about the genesis of stories blaming the EPA for the contamination of the Animas River outside of Silverton, CO. I knew the EPA wasn't in the mining business, but what I wasn't learning from those stories was who, in fact, was responsible for generating the wastes that blew out into the Animas river on Aug. 7.
Doing a little digging I've compiled a brief history of the mine to try to create a timeline in which to understand the current problem. What I've found so far is another riff on the story of mining in the West: Private citizens acquire property rights on land taken from indigenous peoples by force, and exploit it for private commercial gain. Over time, private claims get acquired by giant international corporations. When a problem happens, the government steps in to assist, cleans up and takes over responsibility for fixing the problem caused by private individuals and private enterprise.
I remain fascinated by the people who make these kinds of decisions. This post is meant to be a place where I can document my findings in an attempt to keep the facts, and responsibilities, clear.
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