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RECLAMATION SUCCESSManhattan Gold Mine |
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Round Mountain Gold Corp. operates the Manhattan Mine in Nye County, Nevada. The Mine was awarded the Bureau of Land Management’s 2004 Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award for outstanding environmental stewardship and its innovative reclamation designs. The awards program was first offered in 2003, and are similar to the Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining (DOI-OSM), awards for excellence in coal mining reclamation. The hardrock mining awards enable the DOI to recognize the industrial and metallic minerals industry as well as sand and gravel operators. The Manhattan Mine has also been presented with an Excellence In Mine Reclamation Award from the State of Nevada for recontouring and revegetation. “These awards honor companies and individuals who have
distinguished themselves both as leaders in the industry and as partnerships in
the stewardship of the public lands and resources,” BLM Director Kathleen
Clarke said when announcing the winners. The Honorable Gale Norton, Secretary of
the U.S. Department of the Interior, stated that the goal is to recognize and
showcase mining operations that have demonstrated outstanding performance in
reclaiming mined land and reducing environmental impacts on the nation’s land
and water resources. Companies that win these awards have achieved the highest
standards of performance.
The Manhattan Mine’s reclamation plan stabilized or removed historic mine features, eliminated public hazards, and shaped piles of waste rock into landforms that blended with the surroundings. The slopes were regraded and replanted with native grasses. They also developed a new and effective technique for treating water used in the mining process. The gravity-driven system permanently contains solutions in a lined facility, protecting groundwater better than conventional closure methods, with virtually no long-term maintenance. Water quality is suitable for recreation. Reclamation of the Manhattan Mine was planned and performed in collaboration with the community and state and federal regulators. |
