Land Quality Division Environmental Cleanup & Emergency Response Section

811 SW 6 th Avenue Portland, OR 97204

Phone: (503) 229

- 5512 (800) 452

- 4011

Fax: (503) 229

- 5850

Contact: Gil Wistar www.oregon.gov/DEQ

Last Updated: 9/4/12 By: Gil Wistar

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- LQ

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# Cleanups of Abandoned Mine s in Oregon Complicated by High Cost and Lack of Funding

This fact sheet describes challenges posed by

abandoned and inactive hard rock mines in Oregon, and outlines the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality ’s approach to cleaning up mines that are a high risk to human health

and to our land and water quality

.

Oregon has hundreds of aband oned and inactive metal mines and some pose environmental risk s to the public.

Legacy mining sites

Abandoned and inactive mines are found throughout the state , including historic mini ng districts in eastern and southwest Oregon and in

the Willamette Basin. Over the last century

, minerals and metals such as gold, silver, copper, zinc, and mercury have be en extracted from these mines. State and federal agencies

have identified over 15 0 mines in Oregon that may need further investigation or c leanup. About 95 have undergone at least initial

ass essment. Some mines are on public lands

such as national forests and land managed by

the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) . Others are located on private land. A few mines are located on both public and private land

.

Public health and environmental effects

Some abandoned mines have caused acid mine

d rainage , which can contaminate drinking

water , expose people to toxic mine wastes, and degrade habitat s for threatened and

e ndangered fish. T hese problems sometimes

occur far downstream from the mine site s

. For example, mercury released from abandoned mines in the upper Willamette

Basin has increased mercury levels in fish caught in downstream reservoirs, resulting in

fish

- consumption advisorie s for anglers

.

DEQ’s approach to abandoned mine s DEQ normally relies on responsible parties, such as property owners or operators, to pay for cleanup of contaminated sites. But past operators of abandoned mines often cannot
be found or made to pay for cleanup. In many cases, subsequent abandoned mine owners are also unable to pay the typically large costs required to clean up these sites.

DEQ uses a limited state fund called the Orph an Site Account (OSA) to clean up contaminated sites, including abandoned

m ines, where responsible parties are either

unknown

– or unable or unwilling

– to pay for cleanup. D ecreased OSA funding has forced DEQ to focus on mines posing the greatest human health risk, with an emphasis

on stabilizing sites and prevent ing high

- risk human exposure to contaminants (e.g.,

treat ing or replacing contaminated drinking water). The d ecreasing availability of OSA

funds requires that DEQ delay the cleanup of

other “ orphan sites ” that may not be causing

immediate or severe threats to human health

.

F or abandoned mines

, these constraints mean that DEQ will continue to:

• Prioritiz e sites based on risks pose d to hu man health an d the environment, assigning highest priority to direct threats to human health ;

• Limit the use of OSA funds to stabilize sites

and reduce hum an exposure to contaminants;

• Work clos ely with federal agencies ( BLM, the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

, and

the U.S. Forest Service ) to secure cleanup

fu nds for sit es located on both public and private land

. 

# Fact SheetAbandoned mine sites DEQ has worked

on , but have insufficient funding Examples of a bandoned mines that are orphan

sites (or orphan caliber) but have insufficient funding available to complete cleanup include:

Bonanza Mine (Douglas County) This historic mercury mine operated primarily between 1930 and 1960 on private property

east of Sutherlin. Elevated levels of arsenic and mercury have been detected in soil, and arsenic

is also in well water near five residences at or near the site. DEQ ha s spent over $39 0,000 to investig ate the site and remove highly

contaminated soil around the former mill portion of the mine . The Oregon Health Authority has assessed mercury and arsenic exposures of nearby residents, determining that levels are within a normal range. In the absence of signif icant human health risks and after removal of the most contaminated soils, DEQ has postponed further cl eanup in favor of work needed at highe r priority orphan sites.

Historically, tailings from Bonanza Mine were

used to construct roads th roughout the Sutherlin area. An example is a road built on a 17

- mile

former railroad bed, which runs through public and private property in the Sutherlin area

. Known as Red Rock Road

, this road is contaminated with mercury and arseni c
, and its

contami nant profile is very similar to Bonanza Mine. DEQ has used limited orphan funds on Red Rock Road to supplement cleanup work done by Weyerhaeu ser Co., the historic owner of one section of the road.

Golconda Mine (Baker County) Heavy metal discharges from this historic gold mine near Sumpter are entering a tributary of Silver Creek and Cracker Creek, both of which provide habitat for threatened bull trout species. There are several open mine shafts, adits, and pits that pose risks to site visitors. DEQ has completed a site investigation and removal assessment, and has partially stabilized the site to prevent exposure to physical hazar ds. Lack of funding will limit further actions in the near

term. Physical hazards and public access

remain the most direct human

- health threats

.

Opalite Mine (Malheur County) Opalite Mine is an inactive mercury mine about

15 miles nort hwest of McDermitt , Nevada. The site consists of several open mine shafts, adits, and pits tha t pose risks to site visitors. The

site also has r emains of processing facilities,

and two large piles of processed ore.

S ampling at the site has identified high

concentrations of mercury in soil, sedim ent,
and fish tissue. Consistent with other

abandoned mine sites, tailings from Opalite and the adjacent Bretz Mine were used to

construct roads in the area

– and may have

contaminated a pproximately 15 miles of

road. DEQ ha s used limi ted OSA funds on the site to supple ment cleanup work done by

EPA and BLM. As with Golconda Mine

, p hysical hazards and public acce ss remain

the most direct risks to human health

.

Tailings piles and former processing facilities at Opalite Mine

.

Alternative Formats Alternative formats of this document can be

made available. Contact DEQ’s Office of Communications & Outreach for more information at (503) 229

- 5696.