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In 1965, California lawmakers named Serpentine the official state rock because it symbolized the Gold Rush years, but nearly a half century later, attitudes toward that mineral, Asbestos, have changed. And the rock may be stripped of it's honored status.
California state lawmaker Democrat Sen. Gloria Romero proposed the bill. Although it is no longer mined in the U.S.,some say, it is a grim symbol of several incurable cancers. California leads the US in asbestos related illness and death.
But Geologists like Robert Barminski say, For the most part, as long as the asbestos in the serpentine is in it's natural state is pretty harmless. And he's not alone, many geologists disagree with the bill, and feel that to remove it from it's status will take away from California's historic past. The California State Sentae has already already approved the proposed law, and it is currentlyunder review in the assembly.
Adonica Shaw
