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COSTILLA COUNTY EDITION III IIIIIIIIIIIII III May 3, 1996 sss .. i 1 ~~ `> ,,l F ' .! '.. "')4romas Ratrick Cerrray` La: Sierra, has confirmed-that A3 opd of cyanide spilled at the Battle ountain Gold'Costilla Countplaoiliyy ~!l~pri18,1996. "We consider the spill to be irisigni'f- leant;'. said James Dillie,,:an official :with :the Colorado Department of 'iVlineral & Geology (CDMG). - "A leak : in a valve connection ;kEBUlted in fi50 gallons of. treated =`848ter being spilled. The soil containi- 'nated was dug out to a.de~th..of 'approximately 2.112 feet and placed in ::.the mine's containment faeility,^ atat- ~~ Dillie who conducted the. on-site ipVestigation. "The water supply in ~,~lle area was not contaminated.by the $attle Mountain was not cited for -tile spill, but, according to Dillie, the i mcident will be discussed at the next y~$easton of the Mined .and Rec1a- E ^lnetron Board (MtR$). La Sierra became cognizantof Ehe #Spril f3thspill this week. Neithermine. por CDMG officials releaged infotma- :' lion concerning the spill to the media. ~ Only after contact by a member of I.a $ierra'r, staff'wes information con- ;..:cernilig~tirespill ~riade public.:= •: ..~. ~ 4 -~• ._..-.._ _ .. .. if~Eitlents conifqusto.plagus the Bartle. , Gold near San'. ! despite its "statrof~thrdrt" method of exi Id dus from: the earth: . As reported in La Sierra June 2, muirity wa"s net gotified.of the moa ~ j 1995; the MLR$, ruled May 25 of that recent problem the. mine. Some ~P . ~ yeaR, first Battle Mountain Gold members suggeste~ a news blackout iff ! (.$MG} mine was in violation of its the incident had' been imposed: by ? mining;permit. TRrw- either/or mine anq government ofB- ~! The governing agency, the Depart- cials . Na4 T~t-r,lt pr+ nerr-u~(/w~++~ ~ ment of Natural Resources (DNR), Officials with a Costilla County 4aS'~` ; intern udit of the operation Conservancy Dist~ict have received ' reveale~ ground water data and reports that a gul 35-feet in length Y'M6ftla- ! surface monitoring of the Rito Seco below the liner ~qas -created by the Creek had not been prepared and sub- spill. Staff membe>is have been unablq nutted to the DNR. to con5rm this. '~+ DrD ~.strTi'Ltti° (,c"~~ . ~ At that time, according to the pond According to thpreport, employees ~ compliance report for the period o of the mi rippedffup the liner carry- December 1993, to July 1994, the m cyanide sludge 1so a distance of135-'fftu--R- # ponds iiad~'lllegai levels of cyanide feet from the lealq to assure further ~ 1 from March 20 to.March 26, 1999. The contamination hadpaot occurred. i highest tailing aond level recorded Battle Mount ' Gold must now ~ during that period was 20.45 parts per submit to the Divis n of Mmera~s arts million (ppm) of cyanide. The standard Geology a plan t t assures perms- i is 4:1`a ppm• -•~~~ TpR71-L nent compliance wi h government rag- ~. The MLR$ expressed no doubt that ulations that wo preclude future .a Violation had occurred, but BMG contamination of 1 al soli and water. ~O 1 attorney Dean Massey insisted that I.a Sierra is in thelprocess of contact- 1 "public policy would not Be ser0ed" by log experts in the field of cyanide can- such' a ruling. ~ ~ b:lgfa ~pa,~ lamination to learn if burning near Members of the Costilla County the site could create hazardous aii•~ 6DPk Committee for Eavironrpwt9! Sound- quality m the eeunlp. •~rlic~ rr¢ss:eapressed aui'prisg that the cam- ..:--N~i •. ~ ~m..+~!',u..# .i,8~~ Tom- i ~.-