THE CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERAL RESOURCES PROGRAM - MINERAL RESOURCES, MINERAL HAZARDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY

Providing information on California’s mineral resources has been, and continues to be, an important task for the California Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program (MRP). However, just as the California Geological Survey has changed and evolved over its 150-year history, the MRP has also changed to meet society’s changing needs.

In addition to requests for information on California’s mineral resources, over the last two decades the MRP has increasingly received requests for other types of information related to environmental geology/mineralogy/geochemistry from state and local agencies, consultants, industry representatives and the public. These requests have led to non-mineral resource projects on topics such as geologic carbon sequestration, naturally occurring asbestos, heavy metals, and radon.

As part of the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, the MRP has been working to provide baseline information for characterizing the potential for geologic sequestration for carbon dioxide in California. Sequestration is one of several tactics being investigated to slow the trend of global warming.

In the case of potential minerals-related public health and environmental issues, the MRP provides objective maps, technical information and advice on the occurrence and characteristics of hazards such as naturally occurring asbestos, radon, and mercury. Such information has proven very useful to the staffs at the California Air Resources Board, local Air Pollution Control Districts, California Department of Transportation, CalFire, USGS, and county and city agencies as they work to promote the health and safety of California citizens. This information has also been helpful to private citizens trying to better understand local mineral-hazard issues.