Health & Fitness
Chocolate Mountians, Not So Sweet
Brief review of the Documentary "Scrappers" about the Chocolate Mountains in nearby Imperial County, and the "Scappers" who scavenge for military ordnance.
Being someone who truly is enamored with the desert landscape, I was seriously disheartened by the discovery of the film, "Scrapper." The film itself, actually a documentary, was amazing. It was the subject matter and the reality of it that made me nauseous. I was introduced to the films existence through the co-writer/producer of the project.
I sat down and watched it with my husband and was immediately transfixed. How could this be, I thought. The film takes place in the Chocolate Mountain area of Imperial County, not far from Niland, and also not far from the Salton Sea. The project follows a variety of "Scrappers," those who scavenge the desert floor for military ordnance, in order to scrap the valuable material off and sell it. What is that, you might ask? Let me clarify.
The Chocolate Mountain area has been used for years as a bombing practice range by the U.S. Military. They use all kinds of big time weapons in the area, disrupting the earth and leaving behind their smorgasbord of shrapnal for others to clean up. But wait, they don't want anyone to clean it up, it's actually illegal, but the problem is is that THEY don't clean it up either. As a consequence, there are tons of detonated, and even more scray, un-detonated bombs out there. Not to mention, other live ordnance, and a bunch of half-obliterated tanks thrown in for added decor.
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The people in the film are laden with problems, leading them to choose this dangerous occupation, everything from alcohol/drug abuse (mostly meth), poverty and good-ole depression. I think this film is monumental in giving a true depiction of how wasteful parts of the government can be, and what they are really doing in our beautiful backyard. As desert residents, I believe it important to know what is going on around us, besides the bargain sale at the mall, or the next music festival. This is how things change, with knowledge of the truth, and people willing to bring it to light. To learn more about the film, check out, www.scrapperfilm.com.
