The EPA responded after the school community, including local parent volunteers trained in geology and natural resource restoration, implored the agency over the difficulty in finding untainted school construction sites in the historic Gold Rush region.
Reacting to their concerns, Jared Blumenfeld, the EPA regional director for the Pacific Southwest, visited the Nevada City and Grass Valley areas.
The region was home to the richest gold mine in California, legendary Empire Mine, which from 1850 to 1956 produced 5.8 million ounces of gold and a legacy of toxic contamination. Another area mine, the Lava Cap, is a Superfund cleanup site.
"There are few areas in this country that have the toxic legacy of this area, because this is the epicenter of gold," Blumenfeld said.
No comments:
Post a Comment