| As many of you know the Copper Mines, which are | | | | site is nearly 5000 feet the water flows underground |
| nearly all closed in the US due to falling Copper Prices | | | | and into rivers leading to the ocean and can cause |
| in the 80's. Actually they had been steadily falling | | | | damage to the environment with the remaining iron |
| since the end of W.W.II. This Berkeley Copper mine | | | | oxides and acids. It can also pollute local ground |
| owned by ARCO, provided nearly 80 percent of the | | | | water used to irrigate and drink and for livestock and |
| copper in W.W.II. Many cities who relied on these | | | | other uses. Currently at Horse Shoe Bend they are |
| mines to drive their economy have been hurt.Here | | | | building a customized reclamation facility to treat the |
| are some interesting sites to educate you on the | | | | water pictured in the closed copper pit while |
| Copper Mining Industry in the US. As you can see | | | | removing the valuable chemicals and copper floating |
| Northern AZ, Tennessee, Michigan and many other | | | | within the soup. It is a Win/Win for ARCO, Super |
| states lost many high paying mining jobs due to the | | | | Fund Site Program, people of the valley and all those |
| copper prices and changes in metal uses. The US was | | | | down stream who will also need clean water supplies |
| not the only one to lose in the changing economic | | | | to continue their efforts, from farming to fishing. We |
| status of copper and mining. Also affected were the | | | | sure have come a long way towards "Cleaning up the |
| UK, Australia, Canada, Chile, Zambia, Japan, many | | | | World."Using such incredible technologies most |
| people in this country fail to realize is how rich in | | | | Superfund Sites of the past that could have nearly |
| minerals and resources this country really is. Our | | | | bankrupted us trying to bring the contamination back |
| reserves of Oil, Copper, Iron, Sulfur, Natural Gas, etc. | | | | into check are relatively easy to fix. We are so much |
| etc. are truly incredible and it is part of the reason | | | | better at mining, environmental knowledge and sub |
| we have been able to prosper as an Industrial Power | | | | surface water knowledge now than in the past 200 |
| House. Today our techniques of mining are obviously | | | | years. technology will help the US comply with |
| improved and much more technical. Now when a | | | | important environmental issues necessary to have |
| mine is closed we know a lot more than we did in | | | | clean air and water so we can live long healthy and |
| previous decades about ground water, underground | | | | productive lives and maintain the highest possible level |
| aquifers, and environmental issues. Using precise | | | | of industrial output and a rich economy. As we |
| computer modeling we can detect the possibility of | | | | become smarter and more technically in tuned to the |
| underground contaminants and move to fix the | | | | possibilities, we will be able to harvest the resources |
| problem. In this site there appears to be the | | | | necessary with little or no damage to the ground |
| possibility that contaminated water may seep into | | | | water and we will be able to do it so efficiently that |
| the aquifer and underwater rivers, which lead to the | | | | the economies of scale will provide the economic |
| Colombian Basin and into the Colombian River and end | | | | edge to be world leaders in mining. Think on |
| up in the Pacific Ocean by Astoria, OR. Although this | | | | this.Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. |