Gold Mine Transformed Into Research Site

[AP]

RIDGEWAY, S.C. (AP) -- The old Kennecott-Ridgeway gold mine
that once sparked fear of environmental harm is becoming a site for
environmental research.
Kennecott Mineral Corp. said Tuesday it would partner with
the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, which will oversee a
botanical research park at a site where the company operated a mine
until 1999.
"You couldn't find a better place to do ecological
research," said Roy Duckett, the company's local environmental and
reclamation services manager.
Workers already have begun turning the scarred landscape
into a scenic research area, replacing open-pit mines with sparkling
lakes. Trails will be cut through the property and boardwalks
eventually will be developed.
For now, the property is to be used mostly for research and
college classes. In about three years, it will be available for use
by K-12 students and eventually could open to the general public.
In 12 years of mining, the company dug up 46 tons of gold
and 28 tons of silver.
At one time, the company faced opposition from
environmentalists and some local residents who worried about
pollution and noise. Before the mine ended production, some
Fairfield County residents feared the site would become a
potentially dangerous eyesore.
Gold mines, if not properly run, can pollute groundwater or
streams with chemicals used to extract the ore from rocks. Cyanide
is one of the most common pollutants, and acids that leach from
rocks on mining sites are also common.
At one point during the Ridgeway mining, nearly 700 birds
died from exposure to a waste disposal area.
But state Department of Health and Environmental Control
regulator Joan Litton said her agency has had relatively little
trouble with the Kennecott gold mine, one of four in South Carolina.
By law, Kennecott must monitor the groundwater and maintain
parts of the property for 30 years after mining stops.
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Information from: The State, http://www.thestate.com