Prompt Cast
The Dangers and Environmental Hazards of Abandoned Mines in the US
TLDR Abandoned mines in the US pose a significant danger to both human life and the environment, with drownings, accidents, and toxic mine tailings being major concerns. The responsibility for cleaning up these mines is often unclear, and limited funding hinders the efforts of organizations like the Bureau of Land Management to address the problem.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Abandoned mines are a dangerous problem in the US, with approximately 300,000 to 500,000 of them scattered throughout the country.
04:21
Abandoned mines, including quarries, are a dangerous problem in the US, with drownings and ATV accidents being the top causes of death, and since 2001, 227 people have died due to accidents involving abandoned mines, such as carbon monoxide poisoning and asphyxiation, and there are potentially 469,000 abandoned mines in the US that have not been located or mapped.
08:26
Abandoned mines can pose both physical and environmental hazards, with physical hazards including falling in or caving in, and environmental hazards including toxic mine tailings that can contaminate water systems downstream and mercury contamination from gold mines.
12:39
Abandoned mines were not required to be cleaned up until 1977, and the main reason companies don't clean them up is because it is expensive and would negatively impact their profits.
16:45
Abandoned mines are often left unclaimed and uncleaned because the responsibility for them is unclear, and even when the responsible party is known, they can often avoid liability through loopholes or bankruptcy.
20:35
The Bureau of Land Management is only able to clean up a small fraction of the abandoned mines due to limited funding and the extensive cost of remediation.
24:28
The EPA created the Superfund, which mining companies contribute to, but taxpayer money is still needed to cover the costs of mine cleanups.
28:50
The hosts answer some random questions and receive a shoutout request for someone's anniversary.
32:48
Cilantro is divisive because it tastes different to different people, with some loving it and others thinking it tastes like soap.
Categories:
Society & Culture
