Abstract |
In its continuing efforts of collecting information on the mining and mineral processing industry, EPA obtained detailed information to develop approximately 62 summaries illustrating recent mining and mineral processing damage cases in a variety of mineral commodity sectors and states. While these cases should not be viewed as the results of an exhaustive survey of as a statistically representative body of knowledge, EPA does believe they demonstrate that releases of constituents to the environment with consequent environmental damages have been and are occurring from many different types of mineral production sites and activities across the U.S. Table 1 provides summary information on the cases of documented damages and contaminant releases described in this report. Additional detail on the specific facility can be found in the body of the report. In the accompanying tables, the cases are organized according to the primary mineral commodity sectors involved. In addition, the table describes the general source of constituent releases, and provides supporting information on the nature and severity of any resulting environmental damages. |