OSWER/OSRTI

Washington, DC 20460

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL)

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change 

as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.]

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these 

substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet 

at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.

***Proposed Site*** March 2011

BLUE LEDGE MINE Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest, 

California

Siskiyou County 

 Site Location:

The site is an abandoned copper, zinc, gold and silver mine located in Siskiyou County on private land within the Rogue 

River - Siskiyou National Forest, approximately 3 miles south of the Oregon-California border. 

 Site History:

The site operated as a mine from approximately 1904 to 1930. More than 2 miles of underground excavations were 

developed about 800 vertical feet above Joe Creek. Acid mine drainage (AMD) discharging from adits flows directly 

through 60,000 tons of waste rock. The waste rock is in direct contact with Joe Creek. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants:

Hazardous substances from the mine wastes at the site are transported via Joe Creek to Elliott Creek and possibly further 

downstream to the Applegate River and ultimately Applegate Reservoir. Copper levels in Joe Creek downstream from the 

site are above background and exceed the criterion continuous concentration (CCC) for copper in surface water according 

to EPA’s National Recommended Water Quality Criteria. The CCC is national guidance and is an estimate of the highest 

concentration of copper in surface water to which an aquatic community can be exposed indefinitely without resulting in an 

unacceptable effect. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment:

Fish and amphibian surveys conducted in the area by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) document that the water quality of Joe 

Creek is severely impacted below the site. Fish survey data confirmed there are no fish in Joe Creek. Elliott Creek, the 

Applegate River, and the Applegate Reservoir are considered recreational fisheries. Sensitive, threatened and endangered 

species have been identified in the vicinity of the site including the northern goshawk, the Siskiyou Mountains salamander, 

and the northern spotted owl. 

 Response Activities (to date):

In May 2006, EPA conducted an initial removal action. Removal efforts included stabilizing waste rock to prevent further 

erosion into water courses; providing soil cover to reduce the likelihood of direct human contact with contaminants from 

the waste rock; and creating a system of barriers and drainage systems to reduce the localized AMD and heavy metal 

impacts on Joe Creek. In 2010, the USFS received $9.738 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) 

funds plus an additional $1.325 million from the ASARCO Environmental Trust for work on the site that began during the 

summer of 2010. USFS work includes removal of two of the four waste rock piles at the site to a constructed repository, 

and reclamation through erosion control measures, topsoil replacement, and restoration of native vegetation. 

 Need for NPL Listing:

Despite the previous actions undertaken by both EPA and the USFS, there remain areas of contamination that still need to 

be addressed to ensure there are no further negative environmental or possible human health risks associated with the site. 

USFS work will not address contaminated sediment in the surface water down gradient from the site, discharge from mine 

adits, nor long-term operation and maintenance. Other federal and state cleanup programs are not viable at this time.