Yesterday the California Supreme Court ruled that the state’s right to protect watersheds from the potential impacts of suction dredge mining is not preempted by the federal Mining Law of 1872. The high court’s ruling is the latest development in a long saga to address the effects of the mining practice on water quality and fisheries, which culminated last year with the passage of Senate Bill 637. The court’s ruling clears the way for environmentalists and policy makers to move forward with the development of a new permitting process under SB 637 that would preclude deleterious effects on fish and wildlife.
Click here to read the Supreme Court decision.
Click here to see the Los Angeles Times story.
