Iron Mountain Mine
Iron Mountain Mine | |
---|---|
Superfund site | |
Geography | |
City | Redding |
County | Shasta County |
State | California |
Coordinates | 40°40′20″N 122°31′40″W / 40.67222°N 122.52778°W |
Information | |
CERCLIS ID | CAD980498612 |
Contaminants | Sulfuric acid, copper, zinc and cadmium |
Responsible parties | AventisCrop Sciences, Iron Mountain Mines, Inc., Mr. T. W. Arman |
Progress | |
Proposed | 12/30/1982 |
Listed | 09/08/1983 |
List of Superfund sites |
Iron Mountain Mine, also known as the Richmond Mine at Iron Mountain, is a mine near Redding in Northern California, US. Geologically classified as a "massive sulfide ore deposit", the site was mined for iron, silver, gold, copper, zinc, quartz, and pyrite intermittently from the 1860s until 1963. The mine is the source of extremely acidic mine drainage which also contains large amounts of zinc, copper, and cadmium. One of America's most toxic waste sites, it has been listed as a federal Superfund site since 1983.[1]
History
The first discovery of valuable mineral deposits at Iron Mountain was by Thomas Jefferson Harrison, Robert Lyon, and Stephan Alozo Meek in 1852. It became known as Pumptown later to be known as Buckeye all three partners sold their claims to Quartz Hill Gold mining company, based in Cook County Illinois.[
Though mining operations were discontinued in 1963, underground mine workings, waste rock dumps, piles of mine tailings, and an open mine pit still remain at the site.
The mine was designated a Superfund site in 1983 and a water treatment plant was built in 1994. In 2000, the government reached a settlement with Aventis CropScience (now part of Bayer), for the long-term funding of the cleanup efforts.[1] Aventis, formerly known as Rhône-Poulenc, acquired Stauffer Chemical in 1987. Stauffer had purchased Mountain Copper Company in 1968 and in doing so took on the companies liabilities including the cleanup.[2]
Location and drainage
The mine is located at 40°40′20″N 122°31′40″W / 40.67222°N 122.52778°W in the Klamath Mountains of Shasta County, about 9 miles northwest of Redding. The mine area is drained by several creeks which ultimately enter the Spring Creek Reservoir, formed by the Spring Creek Dam, and finally the Keswick Reservoir formed by a dam across the Sacramento River.
Historic mining activity at the site has fractured the mountain, exposing minerals in the mountain to surface water, rain water, and oxygen. When pyrite is exposed to moisture and oxygen, sulfuric acid forms. This sulfuric acid runs through the mountain and leaches out copper, cadmium, zinc, and other heavy metals. This acid flows out of the seeps and portals of the mine. Much of the acidic mine drainage ultimately is channeled into the Spring Creek Reservoir by creeks surrounding the mine. The Bureau of Reclamation periodically releases the stored acid mine drainage into Keswick Reservoir. Planned releases are timed to coincide with the presence of diluting releases of water from Shasta Dam. On occasion, uncontrolled spills and excessive waste releases have occurred when Spring Creek Reservoir reached capacity. Without sufficient dilution, this results in the release of harmful quantities of heavy metals into the Sacramento River. Approximately 70,000 people use surface water within 3 miles as their source of drinking water. The low pH level and the heavy metal contamination from the mine have caused the virtual elimination of aquatic life in sections of Slickrock Creek, Boulder Creek, and Spring Creek.[citation needed]
The drainage water from the Iron Mountain Mine is the most acidic water naturally found on Earth; some samples collected in 1990 and 1991 have been measured to have a pH value of -3.6.[3] Water temperatures as high as 47 °C have been measured underground.[4]
The drainage water endangers fish, including winter-run Chinook salmon, a federally listed endangered species that spawns in the Sacramento River. Salmon kills have been noted since 1899.
The mine opening contains huge stalactite-stalagmite structures that span from floor to ceiling and are composed of rhomboclase and other iron sulfate minerals.
Bacteria and archaea
The
The bacteria obtain
See also
References
- ^ U.S. Department of Justicepress release, 19 October 2000
- ISBN 9781566705752.
- ^ "World's Most Acidic Waters Are Found Near Redding, CA – USGS News". Science Blog. United States Department of the Interior and United States Geological Survey. 2000-03-20. Archived from the original on 2005-04-10. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
- PMID 10097057.
- ^ a b Proteomics brings researchers closer to understanding microbes that produce acid mine drainage, UC Berkeley Press Release, 5 May 2005
- S2CID 26033384.
External links
- Information and links about Iron Mountain Mine, from the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program of the USGS
- US EPA Iron Mountain Mine
- Genome News Network