The Sierra Fund, joined by State Department of Toxic Substances Control, to talk about funding for cleaning up Mining’s Toxic Legacy and Smart Growth Assistance
NEVADA CITY, CA March 18, 2009 — On March 23rd, 2009 The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) will join the Sierra Fund’s Mining Project Community Organizer Mike Thornton on a four-county trip through the Southern Sierra to make presentations on TSF’s Mining’s Toxic Legacy Initiative, funding opportunities for assessment and cleanup, and technical assistance from the US Environmental Protection Agency to help communities impacted by legacy mining activities. In addition, The Sierra Fund will be meeting with local public officials about new funding for legacy mine cleanup included in the economic stimulus bill, and ways that mine cleanup efforts can benefit California’s rural economies.
“Mining’s Toxic Legacy” presentations will take place on Monday, March 23rd in Madera, CA at the Madera County Library, 121 North G Street, beginning at 5:30PM; in Mariposa on Tuesday, March 24th at the Mariposa County Library, 4978 10th, beginning at 6:00PM; in Fresno County in the City of Fresno on Wednesday, March 25th at the Central branch of the Fresno County Library, 2420 Mariposa at 3:30PM; in Kern County in the City of Bakersfield on Thursday, March 26th at the Beale Memorial Library Tejon Room, 701 Truxtun Ave, beginning at 6:00PM. All presentations are free and open to the public.
“Mining’s Toxic Legacy has been with us for a long time and is finally beginning to get the attention it deserves,” says Mining Project Community Organizer Mike Thornton. New funding that was included in the recently-passed economic stimulus bill for mine cleanup will help to alleviate some of the physical, environmental and health hazards posed by the 47,000 relics that continue to cause real problems across California.
Sandy Karinen of DTSC says: “There is funding available through the Federal EPA Brownfields program that can help communities assess toxic problems and help with cleanup efforts as well as job training and ‘Smart Growth’ technical assistance. DTSC would like to see rural California communities get their fair share of this funding.”