Sunday, October 27, 2002

By Sammie Snoop, Staff Reporter       

    Slippery Creek—You could say that Jose Rodriguez “fished” his way into becoming the spokesperson for Slippery Creek residents, who are now demanding a thorough elimination of toxics from their water.

    About fifteen years ago, Rodriguez went fishing in the creek and caught three dead fish.  His shock led Megan Lee Jones to begin an investigation for possible water contamination, leading to the findings by both the Silver Co. Water Management and the Colorado Public Health Department (CPHD) that there were higher than normal concentrations of heavy metals, especially lead.  These concentrations are below the level that is considered to be harmful to the health.  The contamination stemmed from a landslide of mine tailings at the old MH Mining site on Silver Cliff.

    The CPHD claims that the increase in cases of Slippery Creek residents with reproductive problems and high blood pressure is not a consequence of mine tailings because the levels of lead tested were below harmful point.  Instead, cases of the health problems have arisen due to the characteristics of the community.

    Slippery Creek provides a stark contrast with Vermillion, which is the most prosperous town in Silver County.  Rather, Slippery Creek houses people earning the lowest income in the area.  The affordable homes are mostly single-family, ranch-style houses.  The majority of the residents (68%) are of Hispanic origin, and much of the work force is employed in the industrial plants along the Wamasana River.  While people like Rodriguez have lived in Slippery Creek all their lives, about half of the residents are migrant, traveling throughout Colorado for a thriving industrial economy, which is harder and harder to find.

    Ironically, MH Mining had a huge impact on most of Silver County’s economic growth, but it did not help the area of Slippery Creek.  Vermillion prospered the most, being home to the banks which financed much of the mine’s projects.  The majority of the miners lived in Slippery Creek, and their low wages could not contribute to an improvement in their quality of life.

    Last Tuesday, every home in Slippery Creek received a notice from the CPHD stating that the drinking water’s quality could be toxic.  Rodriguez described the letter:  “It said that our well water was nearing the maximum level of lead, and they told us to stop using our wells.  So what do we do?  Go without water?  Does the state just hope that we all die off without water, and then we’ll no longer be a drain on their economy?”

    Maria Sanchez, a neighbor of Rodriguez’s, said, “I have been thinking that this water tasted weird for the last month or so.  But no one believed me until the health department said something.”

   As a whole, Slippery Creek residents are getting fed up.  “This problem has been known since 1987.  Why has nothing been done by the CPHD?  Why hasn’t the EPA stepped in?” asked Rodriguez.

    Jones, who started the Slippery Toxics Action Committee (STAC) in 1998, has actually been lobbying the Environmental Protection Agency, as has Mark D’Zine of the County Planning Dept.

   “The EPA claims that its funds are exhausted, so they cannot turn Slippery Creek into a Superfund site as of now,” states D’Zine.

    A Superfund designation would allow for a full study of the water’s contaminants as well as the health effects that result. 

    Sanchez feels that the EPA’s lack of interest in her community is due to discrimination.  “Just because we’re a poor, Hispanic community doesn’t mean that we have no rights to good health.  It always comes down to this, especially when governmental policy is involved.  We “outcasts” always get overlooked.”

   William Burroughs, the CPHD director, as well as Mayor Millhouse, were unavailable for comment.