Dr. Mike Thornton

The toxic legacy of gold mining is shocking. The fact that our nation benefited from these horrible practices makes me feel even more sad. The Sierra Nevada's were basically poisoned by these miners. They used Mercury, arsenic, lead, and acids not to mention spraying down entire mountains and changing the natural environment all together. Still today mercury levels in fish can be hazards to anyone who eats it. The ball parks have poisonous fibers that can cause lung cancer. Children in El Dorado county fear sickness in one of the most beautiful environments. This is so wrong. I hope the nation will do something to clean it up. I agree with Dr. Thornton when he said "they took the gold, but left the mess". We must together clean up this mess.