How will Silverton remember the first anniversary of the Gold King Mine spill? Apparently, with a cleverly named new event: Super FUNDays.
“We know everyone is going to be discussing it, and it’s something we are going to be dealing with a long time,” said Silverton spokeswoman Blair Runion. “But as a community, we wanted something positive we could celebrate. It’s part of the healing process.”
The first day of Silverton’s new event will be Aug. 5, the day the Environmental Protection Agency one year earlier accidentally breached the portal of the Gold King Mine, sending a mustard yellow plume of mine wastewater down the Animas River.
The polarizing event sent the community of Silverton down a path to eventually request the EPA’s hazardous cleanup program, Superfund, which was long opposed in the small mountain town.
Runion, who was hired as the town’s spokeswoman in January, said Super FUNDays, which she hopes will become an annual event, will blend fun activities with educational outreach on the spill.
On Aug. 5, Silverton Town Hall will host a movie night as local restaurants and breweries feature a “progressive drinks and tapas dinner,” Runion said.
On Saturday, a 5K Color Run will begin and end in Memorial Park, followed by field day activities for kids and performances by local musicians. The race has a $25 entrance fee for adults, a $15 fee for children and $60 for groups of four.
The “colors” featured in the run will be a “tongue-in-cheek” red, orange and yellow powder, Runion said.
Runion added that the EPA, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, San Juan Basin Health Department and Mountain Studies Institute will have informational booths to provide up-to-date data on the metal loading into the Animas, and the not-so-fun Superfund process.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
