Is human health, water quality or the environment at risk from historic mining toxins?
The Gold Rush changed California demographics as indigenous people were dislocated and mining towns appeared and disappeared across the Sierra Nevada Mountains. A less recognized consequence of the California Gold Rush was the massive environmental destruction that took place, which still plagues the Sierra today. Working with partners from state, federal, and tribal governments as well as from the academic, health, and environmental communities, The Sierra Fund’s report Mining’s Toxic Legacy is the first comprehensive evaluation of what happened during the Gold Rush, including: the cultural, health, and environmental impacts of this era; the obstacles that lie in the way of addressing these impacts; and a strategic plan of action for cleaning up the Sierra Nevada, the headwaters for more than 60% of California’s drinking water. Mining the Mountains Using techniques including placer, hard rock, and hydraulic mining, millions of tons of gold were extracted from the Sierra Nevada “Mother
