Students Study Snake River Water
Teachers from the Keystone Science School and about 100 students from Summit Middle School set up research stations around the abandoned Pennsylvania Mine on Peru Creek. They measured dissolved oxygen and zinc levels and searched for aquatic insects and other signs of life to learn about water issues in the Snake River Basin. The students will analyze the data in the classroom and put together a report of their findings, said science teacher Brian Richardson.
Along with a hands-on lesson in scientific research methods, the students found out that there is little life in the Snake River around Keystone, Pennsylvania. The students who were searching for bugs found none. Students also discovered that heavy concentrations of zinc and other metals from the abandoned mine upstream exceed state and federal limits, in violation of the Clean Water Act.
Last year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggested that the area should be labeled a Superfund site to spur its cleanup. But shortsighted local officials killed the idea, apparently worried about the stigma of a Superfund listing. Superfund status or not, the Keystone area is a toxic mess that needs to be cleaned up.