A Project of Sage Steppe Wild
Here’s a real story. It’s about the poisoning of Idaho. Nevada and this mining company should be paying we Idahoans reparations.
Nevada closes mine for mercury releases. Idaho officials say Jerritt Canyon has tainted Gem State waters and fish. The mine will have to fix its pollution control equipment. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman.
This gold mine was the worst single source of mercury pollution in the United States, but it is just one of scores of gold pits releasing mercury across Nevada.
by
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Comments
Kudos to Idaho Conservation League for this action. They’ve really done good, hard-nosed, old-fashioned nuts-and-bolts activism to get this mine shut down. No collaboration, none of the “let’s all meet at the table” b.s. that’s so prevalent among conservation groups these days. They flat-out kicked some ass. Let’s hope we see more of this type of work from them.
JS please remember that gold ring your wife is wearing and the cell phone you use along with your big screen TV and many other items you have all contain gold that was mined so you can enjoy the finer things in life. Get a clue and take your environmental attitude somewhere else I hear Canada needs wackos like you.
JT,
It’s you that needs to get a clue. Gold can be refined without releasing toxic amounts of mercury. They released it over Idaho because that would increase their profits. In fact gave them an unfair advantage of mining companies that obeyed the law.
You tell JS to go to Canada because of his environmental attitude you don’t like. Unfortunately, you are an example of what has become too common. Telling people to leave the country if you disagree with them
Furthermore, the company that ran Jerritt was Canadian as are most of these gold mining companies.
So bad attitude and no accurate information. All too common.
The company that may have been canadian but the emplees and their families weren’t. Many have been unable to find new jobs and have lost their homes due to the shut down.