The Gold King Mine, a previously insignificant site, came to the nation's attention on August 5, 2015, when toxic material from the mine poured into a tributary of Colorado's Animas River, severely damaging the ecosystem for miles downstream. Although the EPA has been blamed and has accepted responsibility for the spill it is not entirely at fault. The complete list of causes for this environmental disaster extends back to the Nineteenth century and continues into the Twenty-First Century.
The General Mining Law of 1872 was written for the purpose of making it easier for Americans to populate the West and to stimulate the economy. This law did exactly that. Many, like Olaf Nelson, the founder of the Gold King Mine, came to the West with a get-rich-quick mentality. Some were able to strike it rich, others were employed by those lucky few, and the nation was provided with a steady source of natural resources. All of this was done with little to no regulation for over one hundred years, and for that reason, the nation is now paying for the success of the mining industry.
The precedence of hardrock mining claims and weak regulations for the industry were established by the General Mining Law of 1872 and these faults have yet to be corrected. Human avarice, along with the vicissitudes of the natural and economic climates, compounded the unforeseen consequences of the mining law. The maze of subsequent environmental legislation has not provided an adequate remedy. In order to prevent future disasters and pollution, the laws and standards for this industry will need to change. Bills to replace the General Mining Law of 1872 have been proposed by Congress in the wake of the Gold King Mine Spill. Although the outcome is still unknown, it might finally be time to impose meaningful regulation on the hardrock mining industry.
