SB 670: Pulling the plug on suction dredging

Suction dredging for gold is like running a vacuum cleaner across a river floor. It destroys the aquatic environment by disrupting streambeds, killing fish eggs and immature eels, and churning up mercury left over from the gold mining era. SB 670 (Wiggins) places a moratorium on suction dredging until the Department of Fish and Game conducts an environmental impact review and subjects any future issuance of suction dredge permits to CEQA.