Toxic Sludge Present Once Again at Lead Queen Mine by Marion Vendituoli Around the Portal and Fractures
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MAY 2018 SERVING THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE COMMUNITIES OF CANELO, ELGIN, PATAGONIA AND SONOITA VOL. 8, ISSUE 5 Toxic Sludge Present Once Again at Lead Queen Mine By Marion Vendituoli around the portal and fractures. In 2017, in response to the 2016 precipitation, a mine Toxic sludge is once again seeping out assessment of the Lead Queen adit was of the abandoned Lead Queen Mine off initiated to further study the inner work- Harshaw Road in Patagonia, despite efforts ings and better understand the geology by the Forest Service to contain it. The and hydrogeology of the adit. In order to sludge is evident along the drainage that is complete the assessment, it was necessary a tributary of Harshaw Creek. to excavate the portal and remove the The leakage was first observed in 2014 polyurethane foam previously installed in after heavy rains in September soaked the 2017.” area and flooded the tunnels of the mine. Eleven stone gabions had also been in- At that time, Floyd Gray, of the U.S. Geo- stalled along the creek bed to capture the logical Survey reported seeing “an iron- heavy metals in 2015. The gabions, which rich, gelatinous substance with chemical are rectangular blocks of stones placed frothing, four-to-six inches deep, running across streams to slow water down, were for nearly a mile down the creek,” as well set with beds of zeolite to try to prevent as high concentrations of lead, copper, zinc the metals from travelling further down- and arsenic. stream. In 2015, the Forest Service contracted Three years later, the gabions have to pack the adit, or entrance, to the mine, failed, either displaced by the force of the with zeolite, a mineral used to capture water running down the creek, or because heavy metals, and to seal the opening with of erosion of the creek bed that is allowing polyurethane foam. Approximately six the water to flow freely around the struc- months ago, according to Gooch Goodwin, tures. Dirt carried downstream has built a Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) up on several of them, as well, causing the volunteer who has been monitoring the gabions to become dams with waterfalls abandoned mine site, the opening was spilling over them in the rainy season. unsealed, and the zeolite removed. “It was “None of the gabions worked,” Goodwin leaking more with it plugged than before said. The Forest service had told him in they worked on it,” he said. 2015 that “There would never be enough In 2016, according to Heidi Schewel, water to move the rocks away from the Public Affairs Officer for the Coronado Na- gabions,” he remembers. Six months later tional Forest, “Heavy surface water flows the banks had already washed out. Photo by Marion Vendituoli caused severe scouring and damage to the About one month ago, Goodwin noticed Gooch Goodwin stands next to seepage at the entrance to the polyurethane foam structure at the Lead new leaking out of the mine. He believes Lead Queen Mine. Queen adit, allowing flow through and that the failure of the project is due to See SLUDGE Page 3 Patagonia New Youth Center Auction, Celebrates Opens its Doors Dinner Earthfest Page 8 Page 8 Raises Funds for Races Page 17 describes as “minor road widening.” County, AMI Partnering to “We want to improve the line of site in a couple of areas,” he said. The county Replace Bridge, Upgrade also plans to resurface Harshaw Road up to the town line. Many residents, PRT Harshaw Road By Marion Vendituoli according to Valdez, have been con- tacting his office, complaining about MISSION STATEMENT potholes on the paved portion of To publish a nonprofit Harshaw Road and the dust on the community newspaper which dirt portion. serves the Mountain Empire com- Both these projects would be munities of Santa Cruz County, funded by AMI, as well. “We know including Canelo, Elgin, we’re going to have an impact on the Patagonia, and Sonoita, and county roads,” Greg Lucero, AMI’s Vice which is open to all views, high- President for Community and Govern- lighting local issues and empha- ment Affairs, said. “And we know that sizing the contributions of local the county’s coffers are not sufficient talent. to maintain all the roads in the county. If we help to address these specific WHO WE ARE roads it will free up money to be used We are a nonprofit organization, elsewhere.” funded by paid advertising, do- Opponents to AMI’s drilling activi- nations and grants. PRT is a free Photo by Marion Vendituoli ties are concerned that a wider bridge monthly publication distributed to and the resurfacing projects will result news stands and local merchants Bridge #9001 on Harshaw Road will be replaced after being damaged in last year’s flooding. in increased truck traffic going to and in The Mountain Empire. from the mine on the winding, rural Plans are in the works to replace contribute the balance of the funds two lane road. “Many of the citizens Managing Editor: bridge #9001 on Harshaw Road, which needed to replace the bridge. “They’re of this county do not want the peace Marion Vendituoli was damaged last summer during just trying to be good neighbors,” Val- and quiet and pleasure of our country a period of heavy rain, according to dez said. He hopes that the project can roads destroyed by major construction Assistant Editor: Jesus Valdez, Santa Cruz County Public go out for bids in May. for a project that will negatively impact Laura Wenzel Works Director. Both the upstream The new bridge “will be bigger and this unique and biologically diverse and downstream sides of the bridge wider, because we have to construct ecosystem,” Carolyn Shafer, of the Pa- Advertising Manager: suffered damage when a large tree bridges to newer standards,” he said. tagonia Area Resource Alliance, said. Janie Trafton was swept into it by flooding water. “The drill shaft will be just outside the Valdez, Supervisor Bruce Bracker Temporary steel column supports current bridge. The abutments will be and St. John will be present at a public Bookkeeper: are in place at present to reinforce the outside the wash, and will be high- meeting in Patagonia on May 8, at Cynie Murray cracked concrete base of the bridge er,” he added, to avoid having similar 4:30p.m. in the Patagonia town surface, and the bridge is open for damage from flooding in the future. A council chambers to discuss these Contributing traffic. The County Board of Supervi- section of Harshaw road will be closed projects. Writers: sors has voted to replace, rather than during construction, and traffic will Bob Brandt repair, the bridge. be diverted along Alison Bunting Replacing the bridge is estimat- Harshaw Creek David Daffern ed to cost approximately $800,000, Road. The project Lynn Davison according to Valdez. The county has should take 6 – 8 Cate Drown obtained $350,000 from the Arizona months to com- Cassina Farley Department of Emergency and Mili- plete. Robert Gay tary Affairs (DEMA), the department The county Patra Kelly that oversees the Arizona National is also planning Martin Levowitz Guard (Air, Army, Joint Task Force), the to chip seal the Vince Pinto Division of Emergency Management portion of Harshaw and the Division of Administrative Road running Distribution: Services. from AMI’s mine Judy Mills The county is required to contrib- entrance north to Les Corum ute an additional $87,500, according the paved section to County Manager, Jennifer St. John. of Harshaw Road, Photo by Marion Vendituoli Board of Directors: Arizona Mining Inc. (AMI) is willing to with what Valdez Cones line the damaged Harshaw Bridge which is slated for repair in the near future. Bob Brandt Lynn Davison Dave Ellis I Would Like a Subscription to the Patagonia Regional Times! Cassina Farley YES! Jac Heiss Donna Lee One Year Subscription (10 Issues) for Myself for $50. Kathryn Schrag Phillip Sullivan I would like ___ Gift Subscriptions for $50 each.(Please include Contact us at: Name,Address and Email for each gift subscription) [email protected] NAME__________________________________________________ PO Box 1073, Patagonia, AZ 85624 ADDRESS_______________________________________________ EMAIL__________________________________________________ To Place an ad: Please make checks payable to Patagonia Regional Times. [email protected] Mail to PRT P.O. Box 1073, Patagonia, AZ 85624 Online edition: Or subscribe online at www.patagoniaregionaltimes.org. patagoniaregionaltimes.org PAGE 2 PATAGONIA REGIONAL TIMES MAY 2018 Board Declines to Renew SLUDGE Continued from Page 1 Superintendent’s Contract By Marion Vendituoli Photo by Marion Vendituoli Christopher Bonn listens as the School Board votes to not renew his Photo by Marion Vendituoli contract. Sludge leaking out of the Lead Queen Mine is visible downstream from the abandoned mine. The Sonoita School District Gov- ment of charges and no board policy Forest Service acting too quickly in World War I. The creek at the mine erning Board voted to not renew the was followed concerning any of the 2015. “I don’t think they did enough site is part of the Harshaw Creek wa- contract for School Superintendent complaints or concerns, so I believe engineering,” he said. tershed, which runs into Sonoita Creek Christopher Bonn by a vote of 4 – 1 at that the reasons for nonrenewal of He does credit the Forest Service and ultimately into Patagonia Lake. their April 10 meeting. This followed my contract would be arbitrary and with doing a good job with the con- “The Forest Service has not made a a similar vote taken at the March 12 capricious following the fact that none taminated tailings, however, which decision on the remedy pending evalu- School Board meeting.