BLM NEWS RELEASE
BATTLE MOUNTAIN — Work to close 36 abandoned mine sites – on public lands has started – in Lander County. Each site has been identified as prioritized hazardous sites because of their location near populations or popular use areas. Prior to closure, cultural and biological surveys were completed to protect resources and bat habitat.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Battle Mountain District, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Nevada Division of Minerals are working together to identify, catalog and close hazardous abandoned mine sites in Nevada.
Abandoned mine sites pock the public lands in Nevada and present a safety hazard to people and animals that enjoy and use the land. There are an estimated 310,000 abandon mine land features in Nevada, and about 15,000 have been inventoried, fenced and posted with warning signs. More than 1,000 of the most hazardous sites have been permanently closed by either back filling with waste rock materials or foam or closed with specialized gating.
Funding for this project, $1.5 million, was provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stimulus package aimed at giving a jumpstart to the economy and to benefit the communities where the work is being done as well as making public lands safer.
The BLM strongly encourages the public to avoid abandoned mine shafts and openings. Abandoned mines may contain toxic chemicals, lethal air and steep drops. Remember to Stay Out and Stay Alive.
For more information, please call Jon Sherve at 775-635-4164 or by email at [email protected].
