|
The Sunrise Mining District of southeastern Wyoming has
provided resources for people for thousands of years. Prospectors have dug
hundreds of exploration pits and shafts seeking copper-bearing minerals. One of
these early copper seekers followed a crevice into an underground chamber which
Native Americans had excavated as they mined ochre, or soft hematite. The
chamber still contained the stone hammers that were used to break out the soft
hematite rock. This ochre excavation was the embryonic beginning of the Sunrise
Iron Ore Mine. Native Americans still return annually to Sunrise to collect the
rich red pigment for use in religious ceremonies.
Many of the shafts, adits, and exploration pits were the
result of exploration activity in the 1870’s, and later iron ore exploration
in the 1890’s. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Abandoned Mine
Land Division (AML), identified hazardous open shafts and adits.
Shaft before backfill. |
Shaft area after backfill. 67 shafts were backfilled. |
The most dangerous were air shafts at the Sunrise Mine. These
shafts were put in from the bottom up. Consequently, no disturbance was on the
surface, just a sudden hole. The block caving method of mining created a
subsidence (sinking surface) hazard under the limestone-dolomite cap rock at the
central ore body. The waste dump area extended from the Mine past the town of
Hartville. The waste dump was littered with trash consisting of typical mine and
industrial waste such as timbers and railroad debris. Another problem area was
the Good Fortune Mine involving three open pits, a 75-foot highwall, and
watershed disturbance.
Initial reclamation work began in 1985. AML moved more than
840,000 cubic years of waste rock, obtained and spread over 53,000 cubic years
of coversoil, and treated 22 shafts and adits, including installing bat grates.
Before inception of the heavy design work for the area, Wyoming AML instituted a
format for public participation. An Open House was held to get comments from the
public. A newsletter was established to inform the public as significant
milestones were achieved. The public participation provided information to the
designers. The townspeople wanted to make sure the mining heritage was
preserved, and AML worked closely with them to ensure the historical culture.
AML pioneered education projects for the local citizens. The
Wheatland High School used the reclamation activity as an opportunity to develop
skills and knowledge involving engineering, soils and vegetation evaluation,
water quality analysis, mathematics, English, history, ethno-demographic
studies, and economics. AML provided professional guest field speakers in
geology, engineering, risk assessment and evaluation, and
anthropology/archeology. The landowner worked with AML to design and construct a
small viewing stand with a wheelchair access ramp in front of the Sunrise Pit.
This allowed viewing from a controlled safe area.
 The AML used the Multiple Property Nomination Form process to
utilized previous determinations of property type and cultural inventory
documentation. This allowed the Project Manager to investigate proposed
reclamation already made for previous sites. This enhanced efficiency by saving
time and reducing cost. The extreme physical hazards, such as open pits and
highballs, have been secured. A specially designed chain link fence was erected.
Location of the fence was selected for easy maintenance access.
Viewing stand with ramp for wheelchair access.
 Environmental inspectors oversaw buried tank removal and
disposal. They tested clean up areas before clearance was given after
inspection. The effectiveness of environmental remediation is a legal
requirement and is documented by testing and process recordation. Effectiveness
of the reclamation is indicated by the completely revegetated spoils areas
between the Sunrise pit and the town of Hartville, and the revegetation of the
pits and spoils of the Good Fortune mine. Thirty one bat closures were used to
maintain and enhance the bat population.
Completed Fence, Sunrise Pit. Note access trail left for
landowner's use in maintaining the fence.
|
Before Bat Grate |
After typical application of heavy Bat Grate was installed.
23 Adits were grated as above. |
Benefits to the landowner, the community, and agency have
been many due to this reclamation effort. The Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality was awarded the 1998 Office of Surface Mining National AML
Reclamation Award. The landowner has benefited by relief from liability,
restoration of 200 acres of grazeable land surface, and the opportunity to
provide education and heritage experiences to the public. The towns of
Hartville, Guernsey and Wheatland have a show-and-tell heritage showcase.
|
