California groups urge mining reforms, including funds for clean-up of toxic mining pollution
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 19, 2008 at 12:43 pmFrom the California Progress Report:
Last Thursday at the State Capitol, the Planning and Conservation League joined with Assemblymember Lois Wolk, Environment California, the Environmental Working Group, and the Sierra Fund, to call upon the U.S. Congress to make significant environmental reforms to the outdated 1872 Mining Act.
Specifically, the group urged Congress to ensure that the reforms of the 136 year old law include a key provision requiring prospectors to pay a royalty for mining activities on public lands. This would provide desperately needed money to clean up the pollution caused by mining.
Mining is currently the number one source of toxic pollution in the country and is having a devastating effect on California’s natural environment and public health. In particular, as polluted rivers and creeks wind their way down to the Bay Delta, toxics are poisoning fish and fouling the food chain. Currently, one-fourth of all the fish sampled in the Delta have “high” or “very high” levels of mercury in their tissues, including the large striped bass, largemouth bass, catfish, and sturgeon which are popular among anglers in the Delta. These toxins bio-accumulate, traveling up the food chain, where they can harm humans as well.
Read the rest of this article from the California Progress Report by clicking here.
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