Rushing Rivers Blog

On Saturday, the first of August, a terribly sad incident occurred. Shanara Henry, 18, disappeared on the Deerfield River while tubing with eleven companions without a life vest. Unable to swim, law enforcement officials are worried that she may have drowned. The group claims that they had all hit strong rapids and everyone tipped over on their tubes, everyone but Henry came up.

During June and July, the Deerfield River builds up the highest rapids and most dangerous flows, making it more difficult for rescuers to continue the search.
20-30 police and fire fighters have been on the search as well as the K-9 unit and expert kayakers. An aerial search was not able to be conducted due to fog and rain. However even though it gets worse every day without results, the search continues.

For more information visit:
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/law_enforcement_continue_to_se.html

http://www1.cw56.com/news/articles/local/BO120609/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbsXM6lMl4A

For the past eight years villagers in Nyamongo, Tanzania suffered from 300 Cow deaths and 30 human deaths from contamination in the Tigite River due to leakage from the North Mara Gold Mine’s tailing ponds. Patty Magubira writes an article about the calling for resignation of the Social Welfare minister who allegedly ignored health problems from protesting villagers.

The former storekeeper of the mine knowingly admitted that mine has been leaking toxic waste into tailing ponds due to poor construction of liner fences. The Tigite river was also contaminated due to potential acid forming (PAF) rocks whose dust drifted downstream. This has led to serious diseases and illnesses among villagers some including tuberculosis.
Also when the mine was first being built, it was promised that their profits would fund for the vilages’ roads, schools hostpitals etc. These promises were not kept.  Tension between villagers and the mine’s operation manager has risen. To read more about this issue go to http://allafrica.com/stories/200907070854.html