Amador County - State lawmakers and federal officials are taking steps to address the threat posed by abandoned mine sites across California. “It's time for Congress to develop a comprehensive strategy to deal with the safety and public health problems of these abandoned mines,” wrote U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein in a guest commentary published in the San Bernardino County Sun. Feinstein has introduced legislation to pay for the cleanup of abandoned mines, with fees and royalties to be paid by the hardrock mining industry. Her plan would “set spending priorities for the cleanup fund based on the severity of risk to public health and safety and the impact on natural resources.” It would also establish an 8 percent royalty on new mining operations on federal lands, a 4 percent royalty on existing operations, and “would create a new limited reclamation fee on the gross value of all hardrock mineral mining on federal, state, local and private lands.” The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the California Department of Conservation’s Office of Reclamation estimate there are approximately 47,000 abandoned mines in California, two-thirds of them on Federal lands. Of the estimated 20,000 abandoned mines on public lands in California, BLM has evaluated 1,820 and characterized 60 as affecting water resources, and over 120 mining district with physical safety hazards. Since 2007, eight accidents at abandoned mine sites were reported in California. Last month, Jim Abbott, Acting State Director for the BLM in California, told a House Natural Resources Subcommittee that his agency is in the process of implementing an Abandoned Mine Lands program to remove these mine-related hazards. “For over a century and a half, miners scoured hillsides and mountains, dug mines, and subsequently abandoned them with little or no reclamation, creating the pollution and public safety issues we face today,” he said. One legacy of the famous California Gold Rush is environmental hazards created by mercury contamination. Abbott said mercury mining took place in California between 1846 and 1981, resulting in about 75 percent of the total mercury production in North America. According to a study by University of California Davis ecologist Fraser Shilling, mercury pollution renders fish unsafe to eat and risks the health of at least 100,000 people. He said the pollution disproportionately hurts poorer populations who rely on fishing from local waterways to supplement their diets. Feinstein said the metal mining industry has not taken responsibility for the clean up of abandoned mines. The California Department of Conservation estimates that California alone needs $4 billion to address the issue. Abbott said the sites with the highest potential for harm to the public health have been identified and are being addressed. “Congress must move swiftly to address this issue before more environmental harm, injuries or death occur,” said Feinstein. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.