NEW ORLEANS, 16 November 2009 – Elizabeth “Izzy” Martin, CEO of The Sierra Fund, was invited to speak on a panel at the national EPA Brownfields Conference, held this year at the Morial Convention Center in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana. Attended by more than 5,000 participants from throughout the US and its territories, the National Brownfields Conference is the largest, most comprehensive conference in the nation focused on environmental revitalization and economic redevelopment.
Ms. Martin was one of four speakers at a workshop on the topic of “Environmental Health Issues and Remediation of Abandoned Mines.” The session looked at both the legacy of the California Gold Rush and anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania, both of which have resulted in severe environmental, health, cultural and economic impacts. This panel discussed challenges and promising approaches for restoring and redeveloping abandoned mine lands while protecting human health and the environment.
2009 Brownfields Conference Panel
“Environmental Health Issues and Remediation of Abandoned Mines”
The panel was moderated by Debbie Schechter of US EPA Region 9 and also featured presentations by Christopher Gillis, Solution Mining, Inc.; Alicia McQuilken, California Indian Environmental Alliance; and Randy Adams, Senior Engineering Geologist with the Department of Toxic Substances Control’s Abandoned Mine Lands Initiative Team.
Conference participants were impressed with The Sierra Fund’s 2008 Mining’s Toxic Legacy report, and many were shocked to learn that liquid mercury is ubiquitous in the watersheds of the Sierra Nevada.
Ms. Martin attended this conference with the assistance of a scholarship from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), which paid for the hotel room. For more information about the conference, or to review Ms. Martin’s presentation or the presentations of other speakers, visit: www.brownfieldsconference.org.
