An abandoned mine in California has been added to a growing list of over 1,300 hazardous sites, known as ‘Superfunds,’ due to its production of deadly levels of toxins.
Afterthought Mine, located in Shasta County, has been spewing metals and highly acidic water into a nearby creek that feeds the Sacramento River since the 1950s.
The Sacramento is the largest river in California and supplies 35 percent of the state’s drinking water.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that chemicals have been flowing out of the shaft at up to 1,200 times the limit of what is deemed safe.
Afterthought Mine, in Shasta County, was abandoned in the 1950s, but pure acid has been leaking from the site since
Superfund sites designate areas that either release or threaten to release toxic waste into surrounding regions, which are known to be linked to cancer, infant death, and mental illness.
More than 20 million Americans live within one mile of a site.
Afterthought Mine sits on the eastern bank of Little Cow Creek along California State Highway 22, about 25 miles east of Redding.
The mine was developed in 1862 and shut down in 1952, but the effects of extracting minerals still linger to this day.
Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Shasta County, which ranked fourth out of 58 California counties for cancer death rates.
The area also ranks among the highest in the state for infant deaths, with more than six deaths per 1,000 births in 2022.
John Hillenbrand, an EPA project manager, said the toxic solution coming from the California mine is ‘pure acid,’ similar to the mixture found in batteries.
Wooden remnants still litter the landscape, including various forms of mine waste contaminated with arsenic, copper, lead, and mercury.
The EPA reported that 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 could qualify for placement on the National Priorities List.
The chemicals found in the latest analysis were approximately 100 times the allowable level of cadmium, 1,200 times the allowable level of copper, and 1,000 times the allowable level of zinc that California considers a risk to public health.
The EPA found dangerous levels of metals and highly acidic water spewing from the mine and into a nearby creek
‘So it’s really nasty stuff. And then it leaches out all the metals, and they come out of the mine tunnel and dump them into the river. In this case, Little Cow Creek gets the brunt of it,’ Hillenbrand told Record Searchlight.
‘This is acid mine drainage, right? And it just comes out every day, 24 hours a day.
‘It varies in amount; 250 gallons a minute or more can come out of this thing and go right into the creek.’
While the chemical dispersion through waterways is concerning and likely to have a definitive impact on fish populations if it hasn’t already, the greatest concern is contamination of the air.
Inhaling such toxins in large amounts over a short time can cause flu-like illnesses and lung damage.
Chronic exposure, however, can result in kidney, bone, and lung diseases.
In an interview with SFGATE, Hillenbrand stated that the mine is ‘unique’ because it is ‘visible to the public’ and can be viewed just across Highway 299, but he warned the public not to cross over the creek.
Wooden remnants still litter the landscape, including various forms of mine waste contaminated with arsenic, copper, lead and mercury
The mine has now been listed as a Superfund site, allowing the EPA to create a clean-up plan for the surrounding area
While the ‘Superfund’ concept is not new—it was established in 1980 with the intent to repurpose land polluted by heavy industry—the federal government only initiated financial contributions this year.
Formally referred to as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the shorthand ‘Superfund’ gives the EPA the authority and funding to clean up sites like Afterthought Mine.
The effort was prompted in the 1970s following the birth of several nationwide toxic waste dumps, such as Love Canal in Niagara Falls, a town that now infamously sits desolate in northern New York after a devastating health crisis resulted from the dispersion of toxic chemicals into the surrounding region.
Other notable sites that have been 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 shared.
‘The program is credited with significant reductions in both birth defects and blood-lead levels among children living near sites, and research has shown residential property values increase by up to 24 percent within three miles of sites after cleanup.’