Here is a brief history of the site.
"Leviathan Mine is an abandoned open-pit sulfur mine high on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, in Alpine County CA. The mine, 24 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe, has been contaminating a nine-mile stretch of mountain creeks. The Toiyabe National Forest surrounds the site, and there are no permanent residents within several miles. The stream system drains into Nevada about five miles from the mine and enters the picturesque Carson Valley nine miles downstream from the mine. Although there had been some mining activities for copper minerals since the 1860s, major environmental problems originated during the open-pit sulfur mining that occurred from 1951 through 1962. During this period, Anaconda used Leviathan Mine as a source of sulfur to dissolve copper from relatively low-grade ore at a mine near Yerington, NV. In 1962 Anaconda ceased operations and sold the property to a local interest. No significant mining activities have taken place since." EPA
I placed four Gesso covered glass plates and a large piece of canvas in the stream directly downstream from the Superfund (SF) site. The water was clear and there was a small amount of metal oxide/hydroxide sludge on the rock and stream bottom. The Acid Rock Drainage(ARD) remediation upstream at the SF site is inoperable during the winter months, and winter comes early here (see last picture). So, I should get some good color on the plates. I will be collecting the plates and canvas in spring sometime when the site becomes accessible.
In the future I want to gain access (with the EPA and involved parties permission) to the actual site to place some plates in untreated water and water leaving the treatment area. The results would be an excellent illustration of "before-and-after" remediation. This juxtaposition will also put these activities on a larger timeline, simply put the waters of the Leviathan Creek (which captures all the ARD) have changed from "pristine" to horrifically polluted to recovering some of the pristine past. What is the analogous change in human consciousness accompanying these changes? Not only for our "American society" but also for the individual.
This mine is not evil (despite all the brimstone and the name), it was a result of the creation of America. But, at the same time it should not be justified. There is a paradox in all mining, deforestation, hydrocarbon extraction and the like - nobody likes it but everyone wants the benefits of it.
Well, metaphors and analogues and social commentary can abound here but, for now... the work is in process. That is enough.
This is a shot just left of the previous shot. The man made conduits on the lower left are a part of the storm water collection system. The water then flows into the various settling ponds, the red areas on this picture, to be treated.
Sludge cover rock and glass plate.
Plates in Leviathan Creek
Canvas in Leviathan Creek - stones were used to hold in in place. Spring snow melt will probably wash the whole this away, but it won't go to far.
Morning of October 4th, three inches of snow.
