Score one for the polluters

New Scientist says that, at an old borrow pit lake near Butte, Montana, the toxic waters have yielded wondrous new medicines, including a potentially powerful migraine blocker, and possibly cures for two forms of cancer, so far.

So, in this case, the cleanup could cost lives.

I put this into the same category as the discovery of penicillin: if researchers had had sterile, modern conditions in their labs, all those years ago, Fleming would never have had an excuse for naming an antibiotic.

Dang. All my years of indoctrination on Earth Day just flew out the window. Grime does pay.