abandoned mine lands · elgin mine • mining for mercury began in the 1870’s and concluded in...
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![Page 1: Abandoned Mine Lands · Elgin Mine • Mining for mercury began in the 1870’s and concluded in the 1960’s. • The site is primarily on private lands, however, some of the mine](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022070815/5f0e850e7e708231d43fa36c/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land ManagementU.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
BLM Ukiah Field Office Abandoned Mine Lands
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Environmental Hazards
California AML Program
Physical Hazards
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
California AML Program
Number of AML Sites
All CA – 47,000
All Fed land – 31,490
All BLM land – 22,648 (79,268 features)
Approximately 58% of Federal sites on
BLM
Physical safety AML sites (19,964)
Environmental hazards AML sites (2,684)
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
AML Sites by District
California Desert District
16,693
Central California District
4,988
Northern California District
967
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Image of UKFO all mine sites
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
![Page 7: Abandoned Mine Lands · Elgin Mine • Mining for mercury began in the 1870’s and concluded in the 1960’s. • The site is primarily on private lands, however, some of the mine](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022070815/5f0e850e7e708231d43fa36c/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Clyde Mine
Elgin Mine
Rathburn/Petray
Mine Complex
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Clyde Mine
• Historic-era 1870’s gold and mercury mine
• Very active mining operations between 1880 and 1890
• Gold extraction was not as prolific as mercury on-site
• Little work continued on and off since the 1920’s with exploration work at the site occurring as late as the 1970’s
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Clyde Mine
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
![Page 11: Abandoned Mine Lands · Elgin Mine • Mining for mercury began in the 1870’s and concluded in the 1960’s. • The site is primarily on private lands, however, some of the mine](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022070815/5f0e850e7e708231d43fa36c/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Clyde Mine
• Site is open to the public, creating potential safety issues
– Camping
– Hunting
– Target shooting
• Solutions
– Bat Gate
– Fencing to keep out OHV
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Clyde Mine
• USGS Environmental Assessment - 2012– Determined that significant amounts of mercury were not being released into the
creek and is not a significant source of mercury to the watershed.
• Past RSE – 2013– Also concluded that tailings were not contributing significant amounts of mercury to
the watershed and that remediation activities would have little impact on lowering mercury loading to Sulphur Creek.
• Current RSI– In draft stage.
• Future EECA– May be needed if not RSI shows additional loading to Sulphur Creek.
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Elgin Mine
• Mining for mercury began in the 1870’s and concluded in the 1960’s.
• The site is primarily on private lands, however, some of the mine is on BLM.
• Several hydrothermal springs drain from extremely steep slopes just below the mine.
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Elgin Mine
• USGS Environmental Assessment - 2012– Determined that this site is not a significant source of mercury to the watershed.
– The “hot-spring effluent is likely a natural source of Hg to the watershed…”
• Upcoming– Steven McCord has been working private land
owners to begin reclamation activities.
– A draft Site Cleanup Plan was recently prepared.
– Issues with property boundary lines.
Photo Credit USGS
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Rathburn and Petray Mines
• Mercury mine complex that includes the Rathburnand Petray Mines
• The greatest activity at the mine occurred from 1892 to 1893
– Over 100 flasks of mercury produced
• Surface mining occurred on and off in the mid 1900’s
• Operations ceased in 1972
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Rathburn
Petray
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Rathburn North
Rathburn South
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
What has been done so far?
• Assessment of Mercury Release from the Rathburn and PetrayMercury Deposits – USGS 2006– Determined high concentrations of mercury in sediment leaving the Rathburn and
Petray mines
• Completed RSI (2006) and EE/CA (2008)
• Reclamation will occur in three phases
• Phase 1 began in 2012, which included: – Consolidation of mine wastes
– Creating a repository at the north and south sites
– Promoting vegetation establishment on repository areas
• Design for Phase 2 was completed in 2014 – Included a revegetation study, Rathburn East Vegetation Enhancement Pilot Study
Report (2014 ECM, Claassen)
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Phase 2 Reclamation
• Phase 2 will occur at Rathburn North
• Construction will include:– Creating a sediment basin
– Changing elevation grades
and flow patterns
– Additional native revegetation
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Future Reclamation
• Phase 3
– Primarily focus on the PetrayMine
• Work with the private landowner to implement remediation activities
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
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U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Questions?