RENO, Nev.—Mining continues to account for 96 percent of the toxic chemical pollution in Nevada, where overall releases to the environment increased 2.1 percent to 222 million pounds in 2007, federal regulators said Thursday.
Arsenic, lead and mercury were the most common form of chemical pollution in Nevada by mines and hazardous waste facilities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in its annual Toxic Release Inventory.
Releases of mercury and mercury compounds increased 41 percent—from 4.3 million pounds in 2006 to 6.1 million pounds in 2007, EPA said. Mines accounted for 99 percent of that with the biggest increases at Newmont Mining Corp. facilities near Carlin (up 693,000 pounds) and Golconda (up 480,000 pounds).
Environmentalists said the numbers show the need for the federal government to establish national mercury emission standards.
“Mercury is one of the most toxic substances released to the environment,” said John Hadder of the Great Basin Resource Watch in Reno. “Given these large quantities of mercury, the need for rigorous oversight by state and federal agencies is critical.”
Idaho residents share concerns about mercury from Nevada-based gold mines, said Justin Hayes of the Idaho Conservation League.
“Nearly every fishing reservoir in southern Idaho, downwind from Nevada, is so contaminated with mercury that parents have been advised to limit the amount of locally caught fish that we feed out kids,” he said.
Offsite land releases into Nevada’s air, water and soils nearly doubled to 2.8 million pounds in 2007—1.2 million of that by 21st Century Environmental Management Inc., a hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility east of Reno near Fernley, EPA said.
Onsite land releases increased 3.4 million pounds, or about 2 percent compared to 2006, while air releases dropped 7.8 percent, EPA said.
Water releases in Nevada were cut in half to 192,000 pounds because a single gold mine, the Newmont-Lone Tree Mine, reported a 191,000-pound decrease from 2006 to 2007, the agency said.
Mining unearths lead and mercury naturally, or can produce it as a byproduct. The bulk ends up in landfills, waste piles and other disposal sites.
Mining industry leaders maintain EPA’s figures are misleading.
While EPA considers the chemicals to be released because they are displaced, most often the elements are fully contained in waste rock or soils, said Tim Crowley, president of the Nevada Mining Association.
“It’s important to remember that the Toxic Release Inventory does not measure risk, but instead, measures the naturally occurring toxins that are moved from one location to another in mining and other industrial processes,” Crowley said Thursday.
“Despite the misleading nature of the report, the mining industry is pleased its water and air releases—including mercury air releases—are down,” he said.
Nine of the top 10 polluters in Nevada were mining facilities:
— Barrick Goldstrike Mines, Elko, 47.9 million lbs.
— Newmont Mining-Twin Creeks Mine, Golconda, 46.9 million lbs.
— Ruby Hill Mine, Eureka, 33 million lbs.
— Newmont Mining-Carlin South Area, Carlin, 27.6 million lbs.
— Newmont Mining-Lone Tree Mine, Valmy, 16.6 million lbs.
— Robinson Nevada Mining, Ruth, 14.8 million lbs.
— Newmont Mining-Copper Canyon Facility, Battle Mountain, 11.9 million lbs.
— US Ecology Nevada Inc., Beatty, 3.4 million lbs.
— Cortez Gold Mines, Crescent Valley, 3.1 million lbs.
— Smoky Valley Common Operation, Round Mountain, 2.4 million lbs.
Jill LuFrano, spokeswoman for the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, said all of the mines are operating in compliance with state regulations.
“Although the numbers are large, the environmental risk from these particular mines is low or even non-existent in some cases,” she said. “Nevada enacted strict mercury emission controls in 2006 and we vigorously monitor the mining industry for compliance.”
Nationally, chemical pollution declined by 5 percent in 2007 to a total of 4.1 billion pounds. But the EPA data shows more mercury, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls entered the environment. Releases of these types of chemicals, which remain in the environment for long periods of time and accumulate in body tissues, rose 1 percent in 2007.
Michael Flynn, the acting deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Environmental Information, said the 38 percent increase in mercury and 1 percent increase in lead releases nationally came from the metal mining industry. Metal mining is the single largest source of toxic chemical releases into the environment, according to the data.
