Current mood:	concerned
Current music:	Beethoven -- Symphony No. 5 in C minor, as played by the house telephone

sulfide mining in MN
"In 2006, the environmental group Earthworks released a sobering report finding that though mining companies uniformly predict full compliance with regulators, 76 percent of the 183 mines studied wound up leaching toxic contaminants in excess of the established water quality standards.

One of the worst cases was the Summitville mine in the high desert of southern Colorado. When Galactic Mining Limited bought the long-abandoned gold mine in 1984, it promised 400 well-paying jobs and nearly a million dollars in annual tax revenues.

But in 1991, tens of thousands of gallons of water contaminated with cyanide, sulfuric acid, and heavy metals seeped into the Alamosa River. The toxic stew killed all the fish 17 miles downstream. Where the river was used to irrigate crops, the acidic water rusted out farm machinery. After Galactic abandoned the mine the next year, the EPA declared Summitville a Superfund site.

In addition to a dead river and vanished jobs, Galactic also left behind a huge unpaid bill. While the company's owner coughed up $32 million after a fierce court battle, the actual cost of the cleanup has reached $185 million and counting."
- http://articles.citypages.com/2008-05-07/feature/buried-treasure/full/