Iron Mountain Mine: A Historical Copper and Mineral Pit of Northern California - Essay Sample

Introduction

Iron Mountain Mine was located near the Redding region in northern California. The site had at least ten mines, which operated between the years 1879 to 1962 (Fimrite, 2010). The colliery produced copper and supplied minerals such as gold, zinc, silver, and iron. The Iron Mountain Mine, as Fimrite (2010) stipulated, is a pit where acid water ripples and greenish bacteria builds on the walls. Besides, the acid is highly concentrated to the extent of causing burns to the skin. The Iron Mountain Mine is an example of the scope of damage that humans can inflict on the environment. Therefore, this paper discusses some of the factors that led to the closure of the Iron Mountain Mine and remediation activities.

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Mountain Copper Company formed the mine in the year late 19th century (Druschel, Baker, Gihring, & Banfield, 2004). The Iron Mountain Superfund Mine is located at the Klamath Mountains of the county of Shasta. The corporation started to supply sulfuric acid to refineries existing within the bay area due to the operations within the 4,400-acre mine (Druschel et al., 2004). Such activities made mine the largest in California by the 1900s (Druschel et al., 2004). The operations led to drilling and excavation processes on the mountain hence exposing the pyrite rock to moisture and oxygen while bacteria combined to create a dangerous runoff. The result was the presence of highly concentrated sulfuric acid.

The sulfuric acid that ran through the mountain leached various minerals such as zinc, cadmium, copper, and different other metals. Some of the factors that led to the closure of the shaft in the year 1963 included unrestrained spills and disproportionate waste releases from the reservoir once it is full (Druschel et al., 2004). Such spills resulted in the presence of harmful measures of heavy metals in rivers hence causing the death of fish and contamination of water. It is worth noting that a large number of people use water from the mountain as their primary source of drinking water. As such, the acidic water was harmful to the health.

Accordingly, Fimrite (2010) asserted that the drainage water from the Klamath Mountains is the most acidic water naturally existing on the earth's surface. The pH value tested between the years 1990 and 1991 was -3 (Fimrite, 2010). The temperatures were quite high, and it endangered not only aquatic animals but also human health. The Richmond mine within the Iron Mountain Superfund Mine is the leading cause of acid. Reports by Druschel et al. (2004) indicated that within the Richmond mine, one could hear bubbling sounds as water drips to the overly hot rocks and later turns to vapor. The steam, which is made up of chemicals, heats the hollow and emits a bad smell. Thus, this shows that water pollution is not the only form of pollution within the mine, but instead, air pollution is imminent due to the chemical vapor rising to the atmosphere. According to Druschel et al. (2004), the place was hot and lacked enough oxygen hence prompting the pumping of air to avoid suffocation.

Both underground and open pit forms of mining caused the formation and discharge of acid drainage. The acid contains various kinds of heavy metals and drained to rivers such as the Sacramento River. From this, it is articulate that the mine had adverse impacts on the overall quality of water and aquatic systems as well. Since the year 1963, clean-up activities have been set up on the tunnel to control the drainage of acid to rivers to maintain a high standard of water quality in waterways (Druschel et al., 2004).

Efforts of remediation began in the year 1963, after the closure of the mine (Sobron & Alpers, 2013). The first step included the construction of the Spring Creek Reservoir in 1963. The reservoir aimed at preventing sediments from the river from draining to the Sacramento River. However, during winter and continued production of sulfuric acid from the bacteria and constant exposure of pyrite rock to oxygen and moisture, the reservoir would fill up, leading to overflowing of the acidic water to the river. Sobron and Alpers (2013) affirmed this by asserting that the building of the reservoir was marginally effective since the toxicity of the Sacramento River continued.

Another remediation action undertaken was enforcement action against mine owners in the year 1975 (Sobron & Alpers, 2013). The mine owners had to deal with lawsuits and charges for the continued environmental degradation at the Klamath Mountains. However, charging the owners would helping to prevent similar occurrences from happening but would not help in solving the present situation at the mines at the time. Thus, pollution and contamination of waters in drainage systems and rivers continued prompting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take charge of the superfund site (Fimrite, 2010). The EPA conducted a regular assessment and litigation practices that allowed for alternative project plans. In the year 1994, a plant aimed at neutralizing lime was constructed with the intention that it would collect and treat all sorts of drainages from the mines, particularly the Richmond and Lawson tunnel (Sobron & Alpers, 2013). The plant successfully eliminated the primary sources of acid and massive metal discharges.

The EPA has implemented other efforts within the past years to try and solve the issue of air and water pollution emanating from the superfund site. Such projects included the diversion of clean water round the colliery is, sealing of waste rocks, and construction of tailing pipes (Sobron & Alpers, 2013). More so, the agency constructed a reservoir, Slickrock Creek, to diffuse mine seepage and deliver the collected wastes to treatment plants.

The last project of remediation happened in the year 2010 (Sobron & Alpers, 2013). The project involved scouring and the removal of any sediment that amassed within the reservoir. Notably, the EPA has worked in cleaning the mine area for about twenty years. The agency has made progress in trying to clean up the mine area and contaminated segments. The remediation and activities for controlling pollution have been effective in neutralizing mine drainage and control of copper, zinc, and metal elements that used to flow to the streams and rivers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Iron Mountain Mine Superfund Site serves as an example of the extent of damage that humans can cause to the environment. The mining activity took place at the Klamath Mountain between the years 1879 and 1962. The mining activities extensively degraded the mountain leading to the exposure of pyrite rocks to moisture and oxygen. In the sequel, this led to the release of sulfuric acid that flowed to rivers hence causing the death of aquatic animals. More so, air pollution was emanated due to the concentration of chemical vapor into the atmosphere. The condition was dangerous to human health and led to the closure of the mine to allow for remediation activities that include the construction of neutralizing plants, dredging, and removal of sediments, to mention a few. The remediation processes have proved useful over the years.

References

Druschel, G. K., Baker, B. J., Gihring, T. M., & Banfield, J. F. (2004). Acid mine drainage biogeochemistry at Iron Mountain, California. Geochemical Transactions, 5(2). doi: 10.1186/1467-4866-5-13

Fimrite, P. (2010). Inside a Toxic Hellhole, Iron Mountain Mine. Retrieved from https://www.sfgate.com/green/article/Inside-a-toxic-hellhole-Iron-Mountain-Mine-3254595.php

Sobron, P., & Alpers, C. N. (2013). Raman spectroscopy of efflorescent sulfate salts from Iron Mountain Mine Superfund Site, California. Astrobiology, 13(3), 270-278. doi: 10.1089/ast.2012.0908