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

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



Environmental Hazards

California AML Program

Physical Hazards



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)



AML Sites by District

California Desert District

16,693

Central California District

4,988

Northern California District

967



Image of UKFO all mine sites





Clyde Mine

Elgin Mine

Rathburn/Petray

Mine Complex



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



Clyde Mine





Clyde Mine

• Site is open to the public, creating potential safety issues

– Camping

– Hunting

– Target shooting

• Solutions

– Bat Gate

– Fencing to keep out OHV



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.



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.







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



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



Rathburn

Petray



Rathburn North

Rathburn South



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)



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



Future Reclamation

• Phase 3

– Primarily focus on the PetrayMine

• Work with the private landowner to implement remediation activities















Questions?

Documents

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