From Conservation Colorado (Sophia Guerrero-Murphy):
I grew up in rural Southern Colorado, which is very different than the Front Range. I lived in Alamosa, which is a good-sized town of 10,000 people, but the most populous city for 120 miles in any direction. The area is high desert, and among its giant peaks and vast stretches of chico bushes, there are fields of potatoes, ranch lands filled with grazing cattle, and almost no water.
Little towns in the San Luis Valley are at risk of being forgotten. For example, for many years, nuclear waste was transferred from truck to train within throwing distance of Conejos River, which flows through the town of Antonito. If the waste had ever spilled, it would have polluted a river that irrigated acres of ranch and farm land, and would have ruined the livelihood of many generational farmers.
I guess the proverbial “they” thought no one would notice or mind the risk of a toxic spill. Fortunately, the mayor of Antonito, Aaron Abeyta, whose family has lived in the area for many generations, noticed the large containers of waste sitting on the tracks and decided to investigate.
After Mayor Abeyta took his concerns of this suspicion to representatives in the Colorado General Assembly and to a national level, no action was taken. So, he re-approached the issue with the support of people in his community. He knew what communities can do and the power they have when they come together, so he decided to approach local grassroots. Eight-five percent of the population in the San Luis Valley is Latino, which shows that the majority taking action for this were Hispanic. Mayor Abeyta informed community members about the nuclear waste that could contaminate their water, so they decided stand up and do something about it. Community members began writing letters, making phone calls, and petitioning the government.
These grassroots efforts led to a victory! The waste no longer gets moved and jostled near the river anymore — the waste doesn’t even get transferred in Antonito.
As a community organizer at Protégete: Nuestro Aire, Nuestra Salud with Conservation Colorado, I interact with and hear the concerns of the Latino community and know that movements like the one in Antonito can happen anywhere. We can come together and fight for clean air, affordable clean energy, better jobs for better causes, and combat climate change to improve the lives of all Coloradans.
It’s important for community members to be aware of the power that Latinos have when we come together and stand up for the protection of our families.
To make your voice heard, join us at the Capitol on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 8:30 AM for Women and Family Wednesdays, as the Protégete team presents to community leaders regarding environmental justice and to lobby on environmental issues that are important to Coloradans. Si se suede!