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466:. AMD discharge accounted for about 50% of the water downstream from the mine and heavily impacted downstream ecosystems. It's estimated that AMD inputs into the surface water was 24 L/s during the six months of wet season and 5 L/s during the six months of dry season, with downstream unfiltered total mercury concentrations of 3400 ng/L (measured in 1997). 1500 g of mercury have been released from the mine each year.,
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608:’s Superfund List was made in March 2011. EPA worked to reroute the acid mine drainage out of the way of the waste pilings, construct a settling pool for the AMD, and minimize the erosion of the pilings into San Carlos Creek. These actions were completed in November 2011, with follow-up investigations scheduled for late 2013.
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currently has an emissions flux of 9.2 ng Hg/mh, possibly lower than expected due to the amount of mercury confined to rock fractures and unit boundaries. The annual flux is around 18 kg per year. Since Idria has natural mercury reservoirs, it is important to factor in these background
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in highly contaminated areas like Idria. Waters enriched in mercury were detected as far as 20 miles downstream from the mine in
Panoche Creek, at levels toxic to aquatic life. The lengths of San Carlos, Silver, and Panoche Creek run through a regionally unique wetland habitat housing several
367:, producing over 38 million pounds of mercury during its lifetime. Mercury mining operations ceased in 1972, with the closure of the New Idria Quicksilver Mining Company. However, the environmental consequences of mercury mining remained well past the abandonment of the town.
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solution in New Idria, which was contaminated and allowed to run into the San Carlos Creek. The issue was compounded by the proximity of 2,500 feet of the creek's flow to the calcine tailing piles, contaminating the water with mercury and other metals including
517:. The samples showed that mercury discharge and interaction was occurring throughout the course of the San Carlos Creek. The biggest contributions were found in the acid mine drainage and the mine tailings 1.2 km downstream from the drainage input.
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Although there are few regularly occupied developments near the mine, there is a significant ecological concern associated with the uncontrolled drainage. A small concentration of mercury can harm aquatic organisms, poison water streams and surrounding
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emissions in measuring the total impact from mining itself. As such, areas disrupted by human activity have been measured to contribute around 15% of these total (background included) mercury emissions into the atmosphere.
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257:. The area was, in the past, recorded in the US Census Bureau as a rural community; however, Idria has become a ghost town since the closing of once lucrative mining operations in the early 1970s.
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Gustin, Mae
Sexauer, et al. "Assessing the contribution of natural sources to regional atmospheric mercury budgets." Science of the Total Environment259.1 (2000): 61-71.
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However, mercury was not simply detected in steady increments; in some areas, there was mercury scavenging of unfiltered total mercury. Dissolved mercury also underwent
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Ganguli, Priya M., et al. "Mercury speciation in drainage from the New Idria mercury mine, California." Environmental science & technology 34.22 (2000): 4773-4779
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shale controlled by faulting. Quicksilver deposits also occur in silica-carbonate rocks produced from serpentine, known as the "Quicksilver Rock" of
California.
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Gustin, Mae
Sexauer. "Are mercury emissions from geologic sources significant? A status report." Science of the Total Environment 304.1 (2003): 153-167
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evasion as gaseous mercury was released into the atmosphere. Both processes accounted for the loss of measured mercury concentrations downstream.
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from this process were piled along with other waste rock, totaling between 0.5 and 2 million tons and cover over 40 acres of mining ground.
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On March 10, 2011, after the site had been reassessed in 2002 along with an expanded site in 2009, the EPA finally proposed adding Idria to
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478:, and discharge from inoperative gold and mercury mines. Idria, as well as the western United States as a whole, faces a sizable threat of
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Ganguli, Priya M. Mercury speciation in acid mine drainage: New Idria
Quicksilver Mine, California. Diss. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, 1998
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to mine mercury, which involved crushing and roasting cinnabar, then condensing the release of mercury vapor. The leftover ores or
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are located along the southwest and west boundary. The New Idria
Serpentine is the source of the quicksilver mineralization, and
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industry had had on the local environment. However, the contamination was not ranked high enough to be listed on the EPA's
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and nearby populations. The contamination was also shown to be potentially threatening to habitats extending to the
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contamination level in soils, groundwater, surface water, and air of Idria, and concerned with the impact that the
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body, 14 miles long and 4 miles wide, surrounded by numerous former quicksilver mines. The
Jurassic Franciscan
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806:. New York: The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. pp. 1623–1649.
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and processing operations. Idria eventually became the second most productive mercury mine in
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sandstone up to 20,000 feet thick. Most of the New Idria mine production came from the
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Mine was claimed in 1854, with the first brick furnace built in 1857. During the
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A part of a mercury extraction plant of the New Idria
Quicksilver Mining Company
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Once abandoned, the New Idria
Mercury Mine also discharged mercury-containing
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Mercury, known to be highly toxic, has been found in various forms in Idria:
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content of the bedrock. This created the ubiquitous acid mine drainage and
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New Idria Mining
District, in Ore deposits of the United States, 1933-1967
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threatened and endangered species, including the California
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is located along the northeast portion of this core, though
913:"Superfund Information Systems - CERCLIS: Site Information"
462:(AMD) into San Carlos Creek, Silver Creek and a portion of
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Buildings and structures in San Benito County, California
688:. Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks
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Three main sources of mercury are industrial discharge,
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The proposal to add the New Idria Mercury Mine to the
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222:. Idria, initially named New Idria, is situated at
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731:. Archived from the original on February 7, 2005.
1236:Companies based in San Benito County, California
624:360° in the center of the New Idria ghost town.
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547:eventually flooded the mine and reacted with
262:United States Environmental Protection Agency
16:Quicksilver Mine in California, United States
8:
780:
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786:"Search for Superfund Sites Where You Live"
763:"Search for Superfund Sites Where You Live"
515:cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry
347:, mercury was the key component to extract
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543:After the end of production in the 1970s,
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946:New Idria Historical Preservation Project
1231:History of San Benito County, California
802:Linn, Robert (1968). Ridge, John (ed.).
398:is exposed at the crest of the Coalinga
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414:. Bordering this plug of rocks is the
210:encompasses 8,000 acres of land in the
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80:Location within the state of California
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897:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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951:New Idria Mercury Mine Superfund site
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666:List of Superfund sites in California
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355:. Mercury, a major component in the
1201:Mercury mines in the United States
986:Municipalities and communities of
761:US EPA, OLEM (September 4, 2015).
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1206:Mining communities in California
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418:Panoche Formation consisting of
303:, Silver Creek and a portion of
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1226:California Historical Landmarks
606:Environmental Protection Agency
470:Mercury Speciation in New Idria
450:The land surrounding New Idria
641:Mercey Hot Springs, California
532:New Idria used the process of
174:California Historical Landmark
1:
1241:Superfund sites in California
989:San Benito County, California
220:San Benito County, California
725:"New Idria Quicksilver Mine"
214:, incorporating the town of
253:and 2440 feet (680m) above
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491:inorganic mercury (Hg(II))
446:Regional Mercury Reservoir
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741:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
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528:Effects and Consequences
278:National Priorities List
299:, were found in nearby
264:(EPA) investigated the
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476:atmospheric deposition
432:hydrothermally altered
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291:. Mercury, along with
241:36.41694°N 120.67333°W
208:New Idria Mercury Mine
108:36.41694°N 120.67333°W
1047:San Benito County map
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706:New Idria, California
636:New Idria, California
499:Hg, also called MMHg)
495:monomethyl mercury(CH
480:mercury contamination
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212:Diablo Mountain range
47:Pollution left behind
1196:Mining in California
1174:United States portal
661:California Gold Rush
345:California Gold Rush
246:36.41694; -120.67333
113:36.41694; -120.67333
923:on 8 September 2004
791:. 4 September 2015.
646:Panoche, California
522:abiotic atmospheric
511:atomic fluorescence
412:chrysotile asbestos
237: /
104: /
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879:on 27 October 2008
460:acid mine drainage
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297:acid mine drainage
189:Reference no.
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1167:California portal
1034:San Juan Bautista
729:www.new-idria.org
656:San Francisco Bay
651:San Joaquin River
501:. MMHg, a potent
487:elemental mercury
402:. The New Idria
321:San Francisco Bay
317:San Joaquin River
313:aquatic organisms
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152:San Benito County
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276:List, nor its
274:Superfund Site
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89:Coordinates:
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1216:Diablo Range
1008:
925:. Retrieved
921:the original
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907:
881:. Retrieved
874:the original
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848:
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690:. Retrieved
680:
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581:
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519:
507:tin chloride
484:
473:
457:
452:Mercury Mine
449:
404:thrust fault
374:
338:
293:heavy metals
282:
259:
207:
205:
163:CA0001900463
1095:Bitterwater
1087:communities
1004:County seat
545:groundwater
534:calcination
509:reduction,
361:gold mining
244: /
232:120°40′24″W
111: /
99:120°40′24″W
33:Quicksilver
1190:Categories
1135:Ghost town
1125:Tres Pinos
1120:San Benito
1115:River Oaks
1100:Dunneville
1075:Tres Pinos
927:15 January
883:15 January
692:2012-10-11
672:References
585:ecosystems
503:neurotoxin
377:Serpentine
285:California
229:36°25′01″N
140:California
1152:Footnotes
1143:New Idria
1070:Ridgemark
1029:Hollister
1011:Hollister
549:high iron
489:(Hg(0)),
442:mineral.
400:anticline
392:sandstone
385:Formation
381:intrusive
311:level to
96:36°25′1″N
73:New Idria
24:New Idria
1105:Paicines
893:cite web
737:cite web
630:See also
592:and the
562:aluminum
538:calcines
436:Cinnabar
357:cinnabar
307:at high
159:EPA code
1110:Panoche
600:Cleanup
566:arsenic
389:arkosic
371:Geology
341:Mercury
327:History
266:mercury
125:Country
1064:Aromas
1021:Cities
767:US EPA
576:, and
570:copper
557:acidic
553:sulfur
513:, and
270:mining
147:County
877:(PDF)
866:(PDF)
789:(PDF)
424:shale
420:silty
351:from
309:toxic
216:Idria
135:State
1056:CDPs
929:2022
899:link
885:2022
743:link
578:zinc
574:iron
551:and
493:and
426:and
396:dome
353:ores
349:gold
319:and
295:and
206:The
35:Mine
440:ore
287:'s
218:in
192:324
1192::
1007::
992:,
915:.
895:}}
891:{{
868:.
821:^
775:^
765:.
751:^
739:}}
735:{{
727:.
712:^
572:,
568:,
564:,
323:.
280:.
1066:‡
979:e
972:t
965:v
931:.
901:)
887:.
769:.
745:)
695:.
497:3
422:-
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
