Year of Award
2023
Document Type
Professional Paper
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism
Department or School/College
Journalism
Committee Chair
Denise Dowling
Commitee Members
Jule Banville, Robin Saha
Keywords
Superfund, Environmental Justice, Journalism
Abstract
Superfund sites are the most contaminated places in the nation, but they do not exist in isolation. Stories from Superfund examines Superfund sites in three different communities, sharing the stories of people with varying relationships to these sites.
An audio story explores how the largest Superfund complex in the U.S., the Clark Fork River, serves as a living laboratory. Researchers and agency staff explain what we can learn from the nation’s most contaminated places.
A graphic, written piece uses data to understand environmental justice in a community in Southeast Georgia. Environmental inequities are visualized through graphs and maps showing demographic and health factors around Superfund sites.
A video piece is focused on how the Smurfit-Stone Mill site near Frenchtown, Montana impacts Tribal community members and Tribal rights. In the video, Tribal members explain the value of the Clark Fork River that flows adjacent to the Smurfit-Stone Mill site, as well as how the Superfund site violates the Hellgate Treaty, which guarantees a Tribal right to harvesting fish, because of a fish consumption advisory resulting from contaminants found in fish.
While the communities around Superfund sites are all different, they all must grapple with what it means to have toxic contaminants in your backyard. Every Superfund community has their own story to tell.
Recommended Citation
Neal, Rachel M., "Stories from Superfund" (2023). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12127.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12127
© Copyright 2023 Rachel M. Neal