Mining's Toxic Legacy in the California Sierras

Up until relatively recently contaminated mine waste was actually used for building and road materials.

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is another deadly result of historic mining. Water and air combine with other minerals to create sulfuric acid strong enough to dissolve everything around it. AMD can work its way through mine tunnels and tailings to pollute creeks, rivers and groundwater.

Much is still not known about the effects of Mining's Toxic Legacy.

Mining toxins definitely pose risks to human health, but who is being exposed to what and to how much? These kinds of questions are difficult to answer because many people who live and work in the Sierra are unaware of the daily threat of historic mining toxins, and do not take precautions to protect their health.

As noted in The Sierra Fund's Mining's Toxic Legacy report, not one of 13 rural health clinics surveyed by CSU, Chico conducted an environmental exposure screening of patients even though it is known that they live, work and recreate in areas containing mining toxins. More surprisingly, none of these clinics educated pregnant women about the dangers of consuming fish contaminated with mercury.

The Sierra Nevada is one of the fastest growing regions in the State of California. As more people move into areas containing abandoned mines and mining toxins, land use planners need to direct this growth to ensure that human health is protected and the problem is not aggravated.

Managing legacy mining toxins is a factor in maintaining the health of our rivers, water system, and the San Francisco Bay-Delta. With 60% of the state's water coming from The Sierra this makes the topic of mining toxins vital to everyone in California.

There are answers to these difficult problems.

First, we need to acknowledge these issues exist and that what has happened over the last century and a half is impacting the present.

The Sierra Fund, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to bringing strategic investment in the Sierra Nevada, is spearheading a multi-year Initiative to address Mining's Toxic Legacy. This Initiative includes publication (March 2008) of the first-ever comprehensive report on the topic, Mining's Toxic Legacy, and extensive outreach to bring together diverse partners and communities across the Sierra to address this issue.

The Sierra Fund is in the process of traveling across the Sierra Nevada presenting its report and engaging in dialog with public and environmental health professionals, land use planners, advocacy and community groups, land trusts, environmental organizations, tribes, the mining industry and the general public to discuss the problem and seek realistic solutions.

Some of the topics discussed so far are: health education programs, appropriate land use ordinances, incentives and funding for cleanup, reforming and funding governmental programs, "assessment teams" to assist in advising cleanups, and protecting public money from being taken up by expensive mandatory cleanup orders.

Mike Thornton is the community organizer for the Sierra Fund "Mining's Toxic Legacy" Initiative. The Sierra Fund is a non-profit community foundation that supports environmental conservation in the Sierra Nevada region. Thornton previously worked in a variety of positions at KVMR radio including as their news director, and was President of the Nevada City Community Broadcast Group Board of Directors.