Ben Siegel, American
Aerial view of the acid mine drainage near Oreton, Ohio, 2018
There is a beauty to this toxic stream. The vibrant color in a webbed pattern almost looks other worldly. However the depressing reality kicks in when you realize that this is a waterway that has been contaminated by pollution from mines. Water is one of the basic necessities for all life: plants, animals and humans alike. To lose access to clean water leads to issues due to the toxicity, such as cancer. In the readings this week, one of the most striking things that was talked about was the contamination in wells (discussed by Shannon Elizabeth Bell) due to coal slurry injections. This affected entire communities, leading to cancer, teeth loss and many other health problems. How scary is it to not know if the water you are drinking, the water that you need to live, is killing you. To me, this image encapsulates that fear. A toxic stream surrounded by dying trees with no way of containing its runoff and further contamination. Label by Riley Kelley