Pennsylvania has 5,600 miles of dead waterways, polluted by centuries of coal mining. The Little Conemaugh River near Johnstown, Pennsylvania was one of them. Several abandoned mines discharged pollution that turned the river a bright orange, killing aquatic life.
A new documentary, “A River Reborn” looks at how the river, which winds through the Allegheny Mountains, was brought back to life through a decade-long effort by a coalition of local groups.
“There’s just a real sadness to the fact that people turn their back on these rivers that are actually just these gorgeous places that should be full of life,” filmmaker Ben Kalina told StateImpact Pennsylvania’s Susan Phillips. “So when I found this story, I thought, ‘here’s a chance to talk about a story where there’s actually a hopeful outcome.'”
LISTEN to the conversation:
Susan Phillips: Your new documentary, “A River Reborn,” focuses on the Little Conemaugh River and how coal mining pollution ruined it. Tell us first off: Where is this river?
Ben Kalina: Sure, the Little Conemaugh is about, say, 10 or 15 miles outside of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. So that’s sort of west-central and a little bit south in Pennsylvania, near the Allegheny Mountains. And I think some people might know of this river, not by name, but from the great Johnstown Flood, which was maybe the largest man-made natural disaster of its kind when it happened in the late 1800s.
Phillips: Interesting, so it’s the same river involved in that flood. It also...
Read Full Story: https://www.alleghenyfront.org/a-new-documentary-chronicles-the-rebirth-of-a-western-pennsylvania-river/
Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.