We speak with author/journalist Jonathan Thompson about mining history in SW Colorado and its impacts on rivers. His book “River of Lost Souls: the Science, Politics, and Greed Behind the Gold King Mine Disaster” explores the infamous Gold King Mine spill that released large amounts of acid mine waste into the Animas and San Juan Rivers. Here, Jonathan talks about the history of mining in the San Juan Mountains and its positive and negative effects on communities and ecosystems. We discuss how the Gold King mine spill is only a small part of a larger picture of the extractive industry in the Four Corners.
