Iron Mountain Mine
| Iron Mountain Mine | |
|---|---|
| Superfund site | |
Drainage from the Iron Mountain Mine
|
|
| Geography | |
| City | Redding |
| County | Shasta County |
| State | California |
| Coordinates | 40°40′20″N 122°31′40″W / 40.67222°N 122.52778°WCoordinates: 40°40′20″N 122°31′40″W / 40.67222°N 122.52778°W |
 Iron Mountain Mine
|
|
| 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, USA. Geologically classified as a "massive sulfide ore deposit", the site was mined for iron, silver, gold, copper, zinc 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.
The site was mined by the Mountain Copper Company, Ltd., both underground using open stope mining techniques and at the surface in the form of open pit and sidehill mining. As a result, the mountain fractured and mineral deposits were exposed to oxygen, water and certain bacteria, resulting in acidic mine drainage.
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.
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. This reservoir is a major source of drinking water for Redding.
...
Wikipedia