Mine located in local beauty spot is being deemed a ‘danger’ to the nation as it leaks ‘pure acid’ into the famous American river that provides water to millions

An abandoned mine in California has been added to a growing list of more than 1,300 hazardous sites, known as “Superfunds” for producing deadly levels of toxins.

Afterthought Mine, located in Shasta County, has been discharging metals and highly acidic water into a nearby creek that flows into the Sacramento River since the 1950s.

The Sacramento is California’s largest river and supplies 35 percent of the state’s drinking water.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), chemicals leaked from the shaft in amounts up to 1,200 times higher than the safe limit.

Superfund sites are areas that discharge or threaten to discharge toxic waste into surrounding areas. Toxic waste is known to be linked to cancer, infant mortality, and mental illness.

More than 20 million Americans live within a mile of a location.

Afterthought Mine is located on the east bank of Little Cow Creek along California State Highway 22, approximately 25 miles east of Redding.

The mine opened in 1862 and closed in 1952, but the effects of mineral extraction are still felt today.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Shasta County. Of the 58 counties in California, it ranks fourth in cancer death rates.

The area also has among the highest rates of infant deaths in the state, with more than six deaths per 1,000 births in 2022.

John Hillenbrand, project manager at the EPA, said the toxic solution coming out of the California mine is “pure acid,” similar to the mixture found in batteries.

The landscape is still littered with wooden remains, including various forms of mine tailings contaminated with arsenic, copper, lead and mercury.

According to the EPA, samples have been taken sporadically from the site since the late 1970s, but in 2022 the agency conducted an inspection to determine whether the site qualifies for placement on the National Priorities List.

The chemicals found in the latest analysis contained about 100 times the allowable amount of cadmium, 1,200 times the allowable amount of copper and 1,000 times the allowable amount of zinc that California considers a risk to public health.

The EPA discovered dangerous levels of metals and highly acidic water flowing from the mine into a nearby creek

“So it’s really nasty stuff. And then it leaches all the metals out, and they come out of the mine tunnel and dump them into the river. In this case, Little Cow Creek gets the full brunt,” Hillenbrand said Record Searchlight.

‘This is acidic mine wastewater, right? And it just comes out every day, 24 hours a day.

“The amount varies; it can be 250 gallons a minute or more coming out of this thing and it can go right into the creek.”

While chemical spread through waterways is concerning and will likely have a definite impact on fish populations, if not already, the greater concern is air pollution.

Inhaling such toxins in large quantities in a short period of time can cause flu-like symptoms and lung damage.

However, chronic exposure can lead to kidney, bone and lung diseases.

In an interview with SF-GATEHillenbrand stated that the mine is “unique” because it is “visible to the public” and can be seen directly across Highway 299, but he warned the public not to cross the creek.

Wooden remains are still scattered across the landscape, including various forms of mine tailings contaminated with arsenic, copper, lead and mercury

The mine has now been designated as a Superfund site, allowing the EPA to develop a cleanup plan for the area

Although the Superfund concept is not new (it was created in 1980 with the intention of repurposing land polluted by heavy industry), the federal government only started providing financial contributions this year.

Formally known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the act’s acronym, “Superfund,” gives the EPA the authority and funding to clean up sites like Afterthought Mine.

The impetus for this initiative was the rise of several toxic waste dumps in the 1970s, such as Love Canal in Niagara Falls, a city now infamous for its desolation in upstate New York after a devastating health crisis was caused by the spread of toxic chemicals in the surrounding region.

Other notable locations added to the list include Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Tar Creek (Oklahoma), and Portland Harbor (Oregon).

“Superfund cleanups provide health and economic benefits to communities,” the EPA said.

“The program has significantly reduced both birth defects and blood lead levels in children living near the sites. In addition, research has shown that home values ​​within three miles of the sites increased by as much as 24 percent following the cleanup.”