News.bytes Extra, issue 438 

ARRA funds help reduce mercury hazard in Fresno County

Mining waste at abandoned mercury mine in Fresno County has been removed by the Bureau of Land Management’s Hollister Field office using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.

The Comprehensive Environmental Recovery Compensation and Liability Act project was done this spring at the Archer Mercury Mine, located near the southeast boundary of the Clear Creek Management Area. (text continues below)

“Removing mercury mine wastes from the mine and mill site will reduce the downstream transport of mercury mine waste into the White Creek watershed,” said Tim Moore, project manager.

The $75,000 project was performed by a woman-owned Southern California company, who subcontracted to an environmental remediation firm called MARCOR to perform most of the mercury clean-up.

Six employees worked for six days to demolish residential structures (single story house, livestock barn and metal warehouse.  The contractor removed more than 75 tires, recycled 100 cubic yards of scrap metal (50 tons) and removed 50 tons of contaminated mercury mine waste from entering White Creek where it affected cattle, wildlife and local residents downstream.

Post-remediation monitoring at the site will be used evaluate the success of the cleanup.

Workers sort through containers of unlabelled liquids and other debris left behind in an abandoned building.

Discarded tires and other debris surround an abandoned building.

- David Christy, BLM Central California District, June 2010

BLM-California News.bytes, issue 438