Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 6): Cimarron Mining Corporation site, Operable Unit 1, Lincoln County, Carrizozo, NM. (First remedial action), September 1990

Technical Report · Fri Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:5037847

The 10.6-acre Cimarron Mining site, Lincoln County, New Mexico, is an inactive milling facility used to recover iron from ores transported to the site. A shallow aquifer, which is not a potential drinking water source, and a deeper primary drinking water aquifer lie beneath the site. Cyanide was used until 1982 to recover precious metals. The operation of the mill resulted in the discharge of contaminated liquids onsite. The sources of environmental cyanide contamination at the site are the processed waste materials, including tailings piles and cinder block trench sediment piles, the cyanide solution and tailings spillage areas, and the cyanide solution recycling and disposal areas, including cinder block trenches and an unlined discharge pit. The major sources of ground water contamination by cyanide are the cinder block trenches and the discharge pit. These areas of prolonged contact between cyanide solution and underlying soil led to cyanide contamination in the shallow aquifer. The ROD addresses contaminated shallow ground water at the Cimarron Mining mill area as Operable Unit 1 (OU1). The primary contaminants of concern affecting the ground water are inorganics including cyanide.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
• OSTI ID: 5037847
• Report Number(s): PB-91-921543/XAB; EPA/ROD/R-06-90/060
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CYANIDES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
GROUND WATER
CONTAMINATION
NEW MEXICO
POLLUTION
AQUIFERS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
LAND POLLUTION
LIQUID WASTES
MILL TAILINGS
MONITORING
REMEDIAL ACTION
SITE SURVEYS
US SUPERFUND
WASTE DISPOSAL
WATER POLLUTION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
FEDERAL REGION VI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAWS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION LAWS
SOLID WASTES
TAILINGS
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540220 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)