Partnership reduces hazards at abandoned mine

Closure of hazardous historic underground mine workings is nearly complete at an abandoned mine complex in Lander County. The work is the result of an 18-month-long collaboration between the Bureau of Land Management Mount Lewis Field Office in Battle Mountain) and Newmont Mining Corp.

In June 2013, Newmont was notified by the Lander County sheriff that unsafe conditions existed near the Bailey Day open pit, part of a historic mining district located on BLM land about 5 miles southwest of Battle Mountain. The perimeter fence around Bailey Day was down in several places and remnants of party and camping activity were discovered in and around the open pit. Newmont completed repairs to the fence in July 2013 and requested BLM approval of its plan to proceed with "hard closure" of several dangerous abandoned mine features it had documented within the fenced area.

In June 2014, Newmont and the BLM Mount Lewis Field Office began finalizing the plan to pursue 11 hard closures at the Bailey Day site. Following identification and documentation of hazards and analysis of cultural/biological features, closure work started on Oct. 13. The final phase of the project, Newmont's reseeding of the disturbed area using a BLM-approved seed mixture, will take place this month.