A modern gold rush would be a disaster for the Yosemite we know and love. Industrial mines remove hundreds of tons of ore from the earth to process a few ounces of gold, scarring the land and releasing heavy metals like lead into ponds and streams that flow into Yosemite. Industrial mining operations use toxic chemicals like cyanide and mercury to separate gold from crushed ore. With a heavy rain or landslide, these chemicals can escape their containment ponds and poison the surrounding area.
http://www.pacificariptide.com/pacifica_riptide/2012/02/tell-congress-the-white-house-to-protect-yosemite.html
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