Mine Waste Effects on Water and Soil in Native American Land in WesternUSA

Abstract

The legacy of mining activities on Native American land has resulted in an extensive number of sites with elevated metal concentrations in water and soil; many of these sites have received limited or no remedial action. The reclamation and cleanup of these sites represents a major burden for communities, and authorities at the tribal, state, and federal levels. The limited knowledge of the characteristics of these sites limits the ability to adequately assess the risk to metal exposures among communities living near these sites and develop feasible remediation alternatives. This article attempts to critically synthesize the state of the problem and provide an overview of the existing knowledge related to the occurrence, transport, and remediation of metals in these abandoned mine waste sites. The physical and biogeochemical aspects reviewed in this article have relevant implications for Native American communities, decision‐makers, stakeholders, and environmental scientists.