Nevada, mining industry leads nation in toxic releases

Scott Sonner

Thursday, May 11, 2000 | 4:23 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - Nevada mines released nearly 1.3 billion pounds of toxic pollutants in 1998, more than the entire U.S. chemical manufacturing industry combined, the Environmental Protection Agency said today.

Nevada leads the national polluter list, eclipsing Texas, as a result of the toxic releases from the mining industry, which surpassed chemical manufacturing as the top polluting industry in the country.

The Barrick Goldstrike Mine near Carlin, Nev., reported releasing 398 million pounds of toxic waste - more than six times all the waste released in the state of New York.

That gold mine in northeast Nevada ranked second nationally in releases behind the Kennecott Utah Copper Mine near Salt Lake, which reported 405 million pounds.

Eight other Nevada sites ranked among the Top 25 metal mines in releases nationally, including No. 4, Newmont Gold Co.'s Twin Creeks Mine in Humboldt County, 270 million pounds, and No. 7 BHP Copper's Robinson operations in Ruth, which since has been closed, 168 million pounds.

In 1997, the chemical manufacturing industry was the leading polluter with 797.5 million pounds of toxic releases nationwide.

Today marked the first time the EPA had released similar information on the mining industry.

"For over a decade, the industry has hid behind a reporting exemption. Now we know what we've long suspected - the mining industry is the nation's biggest toxic polluter," said Stephen D'Esposito, president of the Mineral Policy Center in Washington D.C.

Alan Septoff, the center's reform campaign director, said one Nevada mine reported releasing more than 80,000 pounds of mercury, with more than 9,000 pounds of mercury released directly into the air. The name of the mine was not immediately available.

"The industry is releasing massive amounts of mercury into Nevada's air. It releases cyanide into our nation's rivers and streams," Septoff said.

Russell Fields, executive director of the Nevada Mining Association, was traveling today and not immediately available for comment, a spokeswoman said.

Officials for Newmont Gold Corp. in Denver and Barrick Goldstrike Corp. in Toronto did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.

Other Nevada mines on the Top 25 list: