| Abstract |
The 4,400-acre Iron Mountain Mine (IMM) site is a collection of inactive mines and associated property located on Iron Mountain, Shasta County, California. Land use in the area is predominantly commercial, with a wetlands located within 9 miles from the site. The Sacramento River is a major fishery and source of drinking water for the City of Redding, which is located 9 miles east of the site. IMM contains several inactive underground and open pit mines, numerous waste piles, abandoned mining facilities, and mine drainage treatment facilities. From 1979 to present, several owners, including Rhone-Poulenc Basic Chemicals, mined copper and other metals, such as gold, silver, pyrite, and zinc. In 1894, Mountain Mining Company acquired and began operating the mine. Mining waste generated was dumped into ravines and washed into several creeks, including Boulder and Sacramento. The ROD addresses control of the AMD sources in the Boulder Creek drainage basin from the Richmond and Lawson portals. Two planned RODs will address AMD to Slickrock Creek, sources for Boulder Creek drainage (excluded from the ROD), contaminated ground water, and other sources of contamination. The primary contaminants of concern affecting the sediment, debris and surface water are metals, including lead. |
