waste built up at the reservoir is released, the resulting spill is colossal, surging into multiple towns and giving the region a haunting blood red stain. it seems very similar to the deepwater horizon spill in terms of impact in recent memory. the amount of material released is roughly equivalent in both spills. after rushing through the town, the wave of destruction subsides. the damage is immense. people in their homes, mostly in the village of kolontar lost their lives due to drowning and about 150 other people were caught up in the red mud and needed hospital attention due to exposure to the caustic alkaline nature of the red mud. the land could be irreparably harmed. as recovery efforts drag on in the months following, dr. burke travels to hungary and witnesses the aftermath firsthand. we went back primarily to recover samples from the