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INITIATIVES AND TREATMENT OF MERCURY IN ABANDONED MINES
Citation:
Bless*, D R. INITIATIVES AND TREATMENT OF MERCURY IN ABANDONED MINES. Presented at International Meeting on Impact of Mercury on the Environment used by Artisanal Gold Mining in Iberoamerica, Lima, Peru, 9/26-29/2001.
Description:
This presentation discusses EPA's research activities and mitigation activities for mercury contaminated mine sites at the International meeting on mercury and artisanal gold mining in Lima, Peru. The topics discussed included the toxicological and enviornmental tasks associated with the contamination of mercury, four individual cases (Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine, Buena Vista/Klau Mine, Gambonini Mine, and the Carson River Mercury Site) in which EPA has remediated mercury contaminated abandoned mine sites, and innovative treatments that have not been widely applied but that have a lot of potential in cleaning mercury contaminated sites. The discussion also includes the mechanisms of methylmercury production and optimal conditions leading to its production. The presentation infers abolishing the use of mercury for gold recovery and emphasizes the health and environmental consequences of its use.