State moves to take care of mine sites in wake of bankruptcy

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2000 | 9:51 a.m.

Arimetco Inc. of Tucson, Ariz., owns a copper mine near Yerington and three gold mines in the Gabbs area. The company has been in bankruptcy three years.

Jolaine Johnson of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection said the company can no longer care for the sites.

"They had been maintaining these sites so that we didn't have environmental overflows and contamination, but they have indicated they can't afford to pay those people any more and have left," she said.

Workers were advised Friday that the mine sites are being abandoned.

"Abandonment of these mine sites is of critical concern since care and maintenance is required to preclude environmental degradation," according to a statement by the division.

Johnson said that means recirculation of heap leach solutions to prevent waste ponds from overflowing and causing an environmental hazard. She said the division has funding available for the project and is having contractors look at the cost both of managing the sites now and cleaning them up.

The ponds contain dangerous pollutants, including cyanide, which is used in separating gold from ore. At this point there is no leakage and no danger of overflow from the ponds.