Sydney Wilson
cronkite news

With funding on hand and the breeding season for spotted owls in Mexico now over, the U.S. Forest Service has resumed an abandoned mining cleanup project east of Prescott.

Split in two to avoid funding issues and interference with Owl, the project began in December 2021. Phase 1 includes three of the six abandoned silver, gold, and copper mines in the Cherry Creek Mining District: Bunker, Golden Idol and Blackhawk Mine.

The second phase will begin on Monday and will focus on the Logan, Gold Eagle and Uncle Sam mines, along with the rest of the first phase, Forest Service officials said.

According to the Arizona Mine Inspector, about 100,000 mines in Arizona have been abandoned, leaving large amounts of toxic waste behind. These landmines are a serious problem and the government has only recently started cleanup efforts. The Prescott Forest Service has been active in investigating and cleaning up these mines.

Operations in the Cherry Creek mining area began in the 1880s and ceased around 1942, says Ernesto Maldonado, Arizona-wide site coordinator for Tonto National Forest.

“It produced about 3,500 tons of gold, silver and copper,” Maldonado said. “These past mining operations left about 20,300 cubic yards of uncontained waste rock. Imagine that, about six Olympic-sized swimming pools.”

The Forest Service began sampling soil and rocks for toxic metals in 2015.

“From these studies, we know that these sites do pose risks to human health and the environment,” Maldonado said.

Toxic metals in the waste included arsenic and lead, Maldonado said. Due to the exposed debris, humans could be harmed by inhaling or ingesting the contaminated dust. Animals could be harmed by eating contaminated plants.

Cleaners excavate waste at the Golden Idol Mine in the Cherry Creek Mining District of Yavapai County in December 2021. (Photo credit: U.S. Forest Service)

Additionally, the Cherry Creek mining district is located in the Middle Verde and Agua Julia watersheds. Joe Trudeau, ecologist and owner of the consulting firm Hassayampa Forestry and Ecological, says the most significant environmental impact of these mines is water pollution.

“One of the worst possible effects is what’s called acid mine runoff,” Trudeau said. “That’s when a mine actually blocks the flow of water, and that water runs off the mine, carrying large amounts of heavy metals like arsenic, boron, lead, and cadmium. It negatively impacts ecosystems and human recreational opportunities.”

Continuation of the reclamation project will focus on preventing further contamination in the watershed by removing contaminated soil from each mine site. According to Maldonado, the waste is buried and covered with clean soil to keep the toxic metals from spreading into the environment.

Another important aspect of Phase 2 is the fencing and gates of the mine. Prime Minister Trudeau said the mine is home to some animals, including bats, small mammals and javelinas. He said that if the mine is being used by wildlife, it should be closed in a ventilated way so that the creatures can access it.

He said that if the mine is empty, it should be completely shut down.

“When a mine that doesn’t provide valuable role and habitat is closed, it’s an immediate success for restoring part of the environment,” Trudeau said.

Abandoned mines have long been a public safety and environmental health issue in the United States. Earlier last year, President Joe Biden allocated $725 million to reclaim abandoned mining land as part of the administration’s bipartisan infrastructure law. But the Cherry Creek project started long before that law was passed and received no funding from it.

“This project has been in the works for many years,” said Trudeau. “This is in response to the Forest Service’s recognition of the significant amount of open, exposed and dangerous landmines in this particular part of the national forest.”

In addition to toxins from abandoned mines, people and wildlife often fall there, become trapped, and die.
Trudeau said the mine was “a very unstable environment with very loose rock.”

“They are not natural caves that haven’t hardened over the years. has toxic water, toxic air, and old rusty equipment that hurts, so these aren’t good places to go exploring.”

The cleaning and restoration of these abandoned mines is of great importance to human and environmental safety. Maldonado said the forest service began phase two on Monday and the project is “ongoing.”

Maldonado said the project would allow those living in the old mining district to see little change from day to day, but that it would benefit everyone in the long run.

“Cherry Creek residents may see more construction vehicle traffic and more noise than before. It’s a fairly peaceful little area,” he said. “Overall, we believe that cleaning these watersheds and protecting their resources will have a positive impact on the residents and visitors who use our public lands.”