GENERAL43699

• Permit No: M1988112
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 5/18/1992
• Doc Name: AUTOPSY RESULTS FOR WATERFOWL DISCOVERED AT SAN LUIS TAILINGS FACILITY
• From: BATTLE MOUNTAIN GOLD CO
• To: USFWS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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BATTLE MOUNTAIN GOLD COMPANY
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94TiLE MOUNWN
GOLD COMPPNY
May 13, 1992
r_~... r__ nrtp,..ad, SF°ci31 Agc.^.t
United States Department
of the Interior
United States Fish and Wildlife
Service Division of Law Enforcement
730 Simms Street, Room 158
Golden, Colorado, 80401

MAY 18 1992
Mined Land
Re: Autopsy Results for Waterfowl Discovered at San Lois
Tailings Facility
Dear Mr. Mowad:
Enclosed with this letter is a report presenting the results
of the autopsies performed on two birds, one duck and one
coot, discovered near the San Luis Tailings Facility or
April 22, 1992. As you will note, the report concludes that
"there is no evidence to suggest that the cause of death in specimen
#1 and specimen #2 is related to emissions or ingestion of
process cyanide."
The report indicates that the autopsies were unable to
~.~Pntify a precise cause of death for each specimen. 'Ihe
duck autopsy (specimen #1) found that the duck's liver and
kidney exhibited elevated levels of cadmium (2.7 ppm liver,
7.9 ppm kidney). The coot autopsy (specimen #2) deterR.ined
that the coot's liver and kidney contained elevated levels
of selenium (9.4 ppm liver, 12.4 ppm kidney). The
concentrations identified in this letter were provided to us
by Industrial Compliance, Inc., the author of the enclcsed
report. The report indicates that the etiology of the
elevated metal levels is unknown due to the "high"
concentrations of these metals found in the environment,
i.e., "high concentrations of cadmium in many grains and
shellfish" and "high concentrations of seleniumin in many soils
and plants throughout the southwestern United States." The
P.O. BOX 310 SAN LUIS, COLORADO 81152-0310 [phone] FAX [phone]