Summary of Mining Plans of Operation in Washington.
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Currently on file with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are 51 mining plans and notices filed by 6 companies and 3 individuals, encompassing a total estimated area of 3,415 acres of BLM-managed public land in Washington. These plans and notices are filed on public land laden with gold, silver, copper and other precious metals and minerals worth billions of dollars. And these operations are only those on BLM lands, not on Forest Service lands, for which mining plans and notices are not entered into the government's LR2000 database that forms the backbone of this site. But whether the mines are on BLM or Forest Service land, none of the corporate revenue is reimbursed to the public. Instead, companies leave behind unfathomable amounts of waste. In 2001 alone, the industry dumped enough mercury nationally to fill a billion thermometers and arsenic in quantities that would pollute all public drinking water supplies for 350 years. In 2001, mines generated 45 percent of all pollution reported in the U.S. while accounting for just 0.36 percent of all industrial facilities.
| Quick facts about mining plans on BLM land in Washington |
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• Acres of U.S. public land (BLM land only) under mining plans and notices, estimated: 3,415 • Foreign-owned corporations among top BLM land mine operators: 3 of 9 • Pollution from all US mining operations, ranking among all U.S. industries: : #1 in total toxic releases • Pollution from top 89 mines in US: 5 times pollution from entire U.S. chemical industry (3,600 plants) • Western water polluted by mine waste: 40 percent of Western headwaters • Proposed mining operations that have been blocked by the Department of Interior because they posed a risk to public health or the environment: None • Other land uses that supercede rights of mining companies to operate on public lands: None |
EWG analysis of data compiled by the Bureau of Land Management. |
Top Mining Plan/Notice Companies/Individuals on BLM land in Washington Ranked by Acres Affected
Companies have been consolidated to account for subsidiaries. View this table without consolidation.
| Company/Individual | Headquarters | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | Plan Date(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinross | World HQ in Canada | 4 | 1,700 | 1988 to 1999 |
| 2 | Mcclennon Slate | Albany, OR | 1 | 1,040 | 1989 |
| 3 | Newmont Mining Corp | Denver, CO | 1 | 640 | 1999 |
| 4 | Noranda Expl Inc | World HQ in Canada | 1 | 640 | 1999 |
| 5 | Lane Mt Silica Co | Seattle, WA | 2 | 260 | 1990 |
| 6 | Mountain Minerals Co | World HQ in Canada | 1 | 140 | 1984 |
| 7 | Robert Sell | Northport, WA | 1 | 140 | 1984 |
| 8 | Raven Hill Mining | Newport, WA | 1 | 60 | 1989 |
| 9 | Linda Meyer | Chicago, IL | 4 | 0 | 1987 to 1988 |
| 10 | Goldengreen Inc | World HQ in Canada | 3 | 0 | 1991 |
| See all plan/notice holders in Washington | |||||
Counties in Washington Ranked by Acres Affected by Plans and Notices
| County | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stevens County | 20 | 1,520 | details | map |
| 2 | Ferry County | 8 | 1,090 | details | map |
| 3 | Okanogan County | 14 | 705 | details | map |
| 4 | Pend Oreille County | 4 | 75 | details | map |
| 5 | Kittitas County | 3 | 15 | details | map |
| 6 | Asotin County | 1 | 5 | details | map |
| 7 | Chelan County | 1 | 5 | details | map |
Examples of Mines in Washington
| Name of Mine | Location of Mine | Mine Status | Metal Mined | Owner or Parent Company of Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midnite Mine | Stevens County, WA | Closed | Uranium | Newmont Mining Corp |
| K-2 Mine Site | Ferry County, WA | Closed | Gold | Kinross Gold Corporation |
| Kettle River Mill Site | Ferry County, WA | Closed | Gold | Kinross Gold Corporation |
| Crown Jewel / Buckhorn | Okanogan County, WA | Proposed | Gold | Crown Resources |
| Pend Oreille Mine | Pend Oreille County, WA | Closed | Lead and/or Zinc Ore | Teck Cominco Limited |
Source: EWG analysis.