Tucson Field Office
| Contacts: | Daniel Moore | , 520-258-7234 | , d3moore@blm.gov | |
| Keith Hughes | , 520-258-7239 | , khughes@blm.gov | ||
| Diane Drobka | , 928-348-4403 | , ddrobka@blm.gov |
Draft Abandoned Mine Remediation Plan Available for Public Comment
Tucson, Ariz. The Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to conduct removal actions to address potential human health and environmental risks resulting from mining waste piles present at the Rich Hill and Olivette Mine Sites in Pima County. The Mine Sites are located west of Mission Road between Ocotillo Ranch Road and Indian Kitchen Road. The public comment period for the draft plan will be 30 days, beginning October 15 and ending November 16, 2012. A public meeting will be held on October 23, 2012, 6:00-8:00 p.m., at the Sahuarita School Auditorium, Pod B, 350 W. Sahuarita Road, Sahuarita, Arizona.
Removal actions will be conducted under the supervision of the BLM per their authority under the Comprehensive Environmental Resource, Conservation, and Recovery Act (CERCLA). An Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) describes removal actions considered to clean up impacted areas of the site. Based on site conditions, placement of waste rock into open, existing, on-site shafts; construction of bat grates; construction of erosion-control structures; and placement of boulders to prevent vehicle travel on mine wastes are the recommended remedy.
Construction of the remedy is expected to take approximately 60 days with subsequent monitoring implemented over a 30-year period after operations at the site have ceased.
The EE/CA report is available for review on-line and at the BLM Tucson Field Office, 3201 E Universal Way, Tucson. Comments and questions may be directed to Dr. William Harris P.E., BLM Arizona State Office, One North Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004; 602-417-9348; wharris@blm.gov or Mr. Keith Hughes, BLM Tucson Field Office, 3201 Universal Way, Tucson, AZ; 520-258-7239; khughes@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.