The results of FMC's deep dive into government records and other data revealed the situation was far worse than we had feared. There were 542 placer mines with active work permits in 2015 and another 2,917 placer claims reporting work. Many thousands more have been worked and abandoned since the 1850s.
Samples taken downstream of placer mines have found arsenic, cadmium and other cancer-causing minerals that exceed drinking water guidelines. To compound matters, historic placer mining has likely left a legacy of mercury contamination, which may risk human health when disturbed by current mining activity.
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