Laura Lewis Marchino, Deputy Director of the Region 9 Economic Development District, spoke about the Gold King Mine contamination's impacts on communities. This presentation occurred during the Create, Challenge, Change: Economic Development Conference for the Denver Region in August 2016.

1. BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES
RECOVERY FROM MAN MADE
DISASTER
Laura Lewis Marchino
Deputy Director, Region 9 Economic Development District

2. REGION 9 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
DISTRICT OF SW COLORADO

3. SAN JUAN COUNTY/SILVERTON CO

4. SILVERTON STATUS
• Located on the Million dollar highway
• Geographically isolated
• Last mine closed in 1991
• Tourist based, seasonal jobs primarily in summer
• 600 residents year-round
• Low housing stock

5. AUGUST 2015
GOLD KING MINE

6. ANIMAS RIVER

7. PHOTO SEEN ROUND THE WORLD

8. IMPACTS – SHORT & LONG TERM
• Tourism
• Water quality
• Relationships
• Jobs
• Housing

9. THERE ARE OVER 300 MINES OR MINE FEATURES
WITHIN THIS MINING DISTRICT.
UP TO 50 PART OF CLEAN-UP PROPOSAL

11. SOME OF THE PROPOSED SOURCES OF
CONTAMINATION
Silver Wing Mine
Upper Animas
10,000 cubic yards waste pile; 20 GPM Discharge
Kittimack Tailings
Upper Animas
23,000 cubic yards waste pile

12. SOME OF THE PROPOSED SOURCES OF
CONTAMINATION
Mogul Mine
Cement Creek
25,000 yards waste rock (at
headwaters)
Groundwater Seep Near Mayflower
Tailings
Upper Animas
Unknown Flow

13. SOME OF THE PROPOSED SOURCES OF
CONTAMINATION
Paradise Mine
Mineral Creek
700 cubic yard waste rock;
500 GPM Drainage
Brooklyn Mine
Mineral Creek
15,000 square yard waste pile;
35 GPM Discharge

14. SUPERFUND ACTIVITIES 2016 -?
• Ecological
• Human Health
• Hydrology
• Cultural Resources
• Economic development*

15. EARLY NEXT STEPS
• EDA grant – $57K Recovery coordinator for businesses
• Housing grant – apartment and single family homes (Div of
Housing Dept of Local Affairs)
• Water monitoring up and down river in affect
• Warning system in place
• Stakeholder group meets monthly with EPA on progress
• Several communication/education initiatives

16. 1ST ANNIVERSARY

17. RESOURCES
http://animasrivercommunity.org
www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/animas-river-spill
http://sjbhd.org/gold-king-mine-incident-
communications-update/
Region 9 EDD www.scan.org
laura@scan.org