Partners backfill more than 50 abandoned mines near Rhyolite and Beatty

            Outdoor enthusiasts who visit the public lands near Beatty and Rhyolite this weekend should face far fewer hazards than before, thanks to those who are working together this week to close more than 50 abandoned mine sites in the area. 

            The cooperative effort to backfill these abandoned mines is the result of a partnership among state and federal agencies, the mining industry, conservation groups and volunteers that formed several years ago. 

            The 50-site abandoned mine remediation project is the largest number of sites ever attempted in Nevada at one time, or for that matter probably anywhere in the West. 

            Backfilling operations involve bulldozing the rock and dirt that came out of the mine back to where it came from. In some cases, abandoned mines will be filled with polyurethane foam to protect cultural remains. Bat gates may eventually be installed at other sites in the area, in the shafts and adits where bats have made their homes. 

            Among the volunteers who donated their work to the project was Dr. Rick Sherwin, noted bat and abandoned mine expert from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. 

            All backfilling operations are funded by private sector donations of time, materials, equipment, and labor. 

            Employees of the Bureau of Land Management Nevada State Office and Tonopah Field Station completed bat surveys and cultural resource clearances that are necessary before backfilling can begin.

-BLM-

HOME

To download a copy of this news release, click here.

For more information contact:  Richard H. Brown (775) 861-6586