Gold King Mine Presentation to Yuma, AZ Community
Jan. 12, 2016
The Gold King Mine spill that resulted in the sudden movement of millions of gallons of acid mine drainage into the Colorado River Basin in August 2015 has left many community members pondering the short- and long-term impacts of the spill. Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta, SRP investigator, was invited to give a presentation on the impacts of the spill at the 2nd Annual Desert Produce Safety Collaboration Conference in Yuma, AZ on January 12, 2016. The goal of multi-stakeholder conference hosted by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension was to increase collaboration among all people who play a role in food safety. Ramírez-Andreotta was invited due to her expertise estimating the risk of environmental contamination of garden vegetables. Her talk, entitled: "Understanding the Gold King Mine Spill: Impacts on Water Quality and Potential Risks” drew from the bulletin developed by the University of Arizona Superfund Research Program, “Understanding the Gold King Mine Spill,” which Ramírez-Andreotta also handed out to farm representatives attending the event.
"It was great interacting with Yuma farmers and addressing the needs of this stakeholder group,” says Ramírez-Andreotta. “This presentation has initiated some partnerships and potential research collaborations with farms in the Yuma area. Also, the SRP handout was very helpful; for example, a farm representative requested the handout to make available on their website."