Anderson was known to be a passionate and articulate whistleblower, challenging university, corporate and government interests without flinching. South Denver residents benefitted specifically from her work on pollution problems on the old Lowry landfill site, avian botulism in City Park and other more global issues threatening public health.
While the relentless intensity of her passion sometimes drew raised eyebrows from supporters and detractors alike, her refusal to wither under continuing attacks on her credibility and character inspired others to stand firm in their environmental work.
District Chief Judge David W. DiNardi stated in a Sept. 2001 opinion (Case 1997-SDW-7, Adrienne Anderson, Complainant, v. Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, Respondent), “This entire case is about a dedicated, conscientious and public-spirited citizen who, in following in the tradition of Karen Silkwood, Erin Brockovitch, A. Ernest Fitzgerald, Casey Ruud and others, has spent her entire adult life in pursuing union and environmental activities and in attempting to correct perceived wrongs and problems in society. Complainant’s beliefs, in my judgment, are reasonable and well-founded, based upon her years of research into the problems and remedial action taken with reference to the socalled Superfund Sites by the federal and state governments.”
The Parks and Recreation Committee of Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, (INC PARC) an organization representing dozens of Denver’s registered neighborhood groups, passed a resolution on Aug. 20 that stated in part, “Whereas Adrienne Anderson has been a woman who throughout her life has stood for justice and progressive social change, worked with labor, farmers, students and community-based groups throughout Colorado, the Midwest and the Western United States, and ... Whereas she has spent more than two decades fighting the plan and subsequent flushing of the Lowry Landfill, plutonium-contaminated, Superfund site into the publicly owned Denver Metro Sewage District treatment works ... be it resolved that INC PARC expresses its everlasting gratitude to Adrienne Anderson, and pledges to her that it will continue to diligently pursue and act on issues surrounding unanswered questions as to the long term safety to animals, plants and humans from recycled water which is distributed in many areas of Denver through the “Purple Pipe.”
Our condolences go out to Ms. Anderson’s friends and family.
