Event Description
In August 2014, a highly acidic and heavy-metal polluted wastewater spill entered the Sonora River from a mine operated by Grupo Mexico. It contaminated 135 miles of the river and a reservoir serving a city of 800,000 people —poisoning farmland, killing livestock, and causing adverse health effects for thousands of residents. The Mexican government and Grupo Mexico have since declared the crisis over.
In April 2016, a panel of health, environmental, labor, and academic professionals toured the area and, conducted a survey which found serious continuing health problems in the local population. Two members of the panel, photojournalist David Bacon and nurse practitioner Cadelba Lomeli, will discuss the intersection of occupational, environmental and community health issues after the spill.
Speakers
David Bacon
Cadelba Lomeli