I mined in that area and there sources are not near true.
Mercury was in the streams long before there was mining in the area.
In the Alleghany calif area mercury is found up stream of the mines and comes from two sources one is tectonic activity of the area. and the other is the volcanic cap over the area.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0580i/report.pdf
In the 1860s fish were taken from the Sacramento river during the first study of plant and animal life in calif.
these fish are still in the Smithsonian collection.
Sample taken from these fish show mercury levels as high as fish do today. and this was before mercury was used in mining in calif.
Serpentine rock does contain asbestos but there are many types of asbestos. serpentine asbestos Chrysotile is not a major cancer causing asbestos.
Naturally occurring deposits of chrysotile are often accompanied by trace amounts of tremolite (amphibole) asbestos and this is where the trouble lies.
Anyone disturbing the ground in the sierra foot hills is turning up serpentine asbestos Chrysotile as its a product of the erosion of the sierras.
I mined in the Alleghany calif area and knew many of the miners in the area. and mined in serpentine rock.
I know of none of the old miners in the area that died of mesothelioma and asbestosis.
but to groups like sierra fund all this is BS as they have a agenda to shut down mining, off road use, logging ECT ECT
va-gold.com ? View topic - Sierra fund -Check this out ..
http://westernminingalliance.org/2012/04/08/dredging-doesnt-harm-fish-experts-say/
What Next - Sierra Fund says close Trails and Mines
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/dredging-hi-banking/363544-what-we-up-against-4.html
