- Playing
- Toxic Trail: Rails to Trails Meets Superfund
- From
- Guy Hand
(Suggested Intro):
North Idaho has a new bike trail. The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes converts an old mining-era rail line into one of the longest, most beautiful paved Rails to Trails projects in America. But the trail's fresh asphalt isn't just for recreation: it covers toxic mining debris strewn the length of this former railroad. In essence, its a recreational Superfund site, a bike trail built by the EPA to both contain contaminants and promote tourism.
Producer Guy Hand cycles the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes to see if it can bury its poisoned past while paving a brighter future for this exploited region of the American West.
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Piece Description
(Suggested Intro): North Idaho has a new bike trail. The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes converts an old mining-era rail line into one of the longest, most beautiful paved Rails to Trails projects in America. But the trail's fresh asphalt isn't just for recreation: it covers toxic mining debris strewn the length of this former railroad. In essence, its a recreational Superfund site, a bike trail built by the EPA to both contain contaminants and promote tourism. Producer Guy Hand cycles the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes to see if it can bury its poisoned past while paving a brighter future for this exploited region of the American West.
Broadcast History
Aired on Living On Earth August 6th 2004
Transcript
- 1 Banjo Music and crowd sounds . . .
- 2 It's not surprising that when the Coeur d'Alenes bike trail
officially opened in June, people in the North Idaho mining towns
that dot it's path were ready to celebrate.
- 3 OK ladies & gentlemen, we're getting started here . . .
- 4 This 72 mile long black strip of asphalt running through the
mountains is a symbol of hope for residents who've been living under
the label "Superfund Site" for over 20 years—a label that many says
has been toxic to tourism despite the region's stunning beauty.
- 5 And today on behalf of Union Pacific I'd like to present to the
citizens of the entire Pacific Northwest, the state of Idaho, and CDA
tribe, I present to you the Trail of the CDAs (clapping).
- 6 Ed Moreen is project manager with the Environmental Protection Agency
- 7 When we were still constructing the trail, it's was evid...
Read the full transcript
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Dmae Roberts
Posted on September 26, 2004 at 11:11 AM | Permalink
Review of Toxic Trail: Rails to Trails Meets Superfund
Fine piece of environmental reporting. Producer Guy Hand follows the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes in Idaho that's beautiful except that underneath he asphalt, there is toxic mining debris that nature lovers aren't as aware of as they should be. Sure there are a few signs that say "stay on the trail" or "wash hands before eating" but what does that really tell visitors and yes, even campers. Through essay-like descriptions and a variety of interview sources and outdoor ambiences, this piece draws you into a complicated issue by showing one example of which I'm sure there are many of deceptive Superfund sites. This short doc would work well on news magazine shows. It's a little longer than most features but well worth it.