The abandoned golf and silver mines near Randsburg, California have been closed for over a century, but a variety of dangerous materials, including arsenic and asbestos, have been found in dust and soil samples.

Tests revealed “some of the highest arsenic levels in the country,” according to Randsburg officials. In fact, the levels here are estimated to be almost 460,000 times higher than the “safe limit” outlined by the federal government.

When gusts of wind blow up in the desert, these toxins are carried on currents, putting Randsburg residents at risk of exposure.

This situation is not uncommon, as there are a number of abandoned mines throughout the U.S. that have contaminated the nearby soil, water and air with asbestos, radon, arsenic, mercury, and lead. The situation in Libby, Montana is probably the most well-known, with thousands of former miners and their families suffering from asbestos-caused health problems stemming from the now-defunct W.R. Grace corporation.

In Randsburg, officials continue to monitor the levels of hazardous materials. A fear that clean up efforts may cause significant “environmental damage” is delaying any type of decontamination efforts, according to Richard Forester of the Rand Mining District.

Approximately 300 people reside in Randsburg and the neighboring communities of Red Mountain and Johannesburg. As development in this area continues, these communities are getting closer to the contaminated abandoned mines.

Exposure to asbestos is the only conclusive cause of mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer that has no known cure. In addition, exposure to lead, radon, arsenic, and mercury may also cause cancer.

Residents living nearby abandoned mines should speak with their doctor about respiratory testing to determine whether or not they are at an increased risk of developing certain diseases, including asbestos cancer, as many of these ailments have a latency period of as many as fifty years.

Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer typically pass away within the first two years following diagnosis, and mesothelioma treatment methods are simply pallative measures.

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