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Science at Mining Sites Active

By Columbia Environmental Research Center February 26, 2019

Mining activities have the potential to release harmful substances into the soil, air and water. Extraction and processing produce tailings piles that can contain radioactive elements, mercury, and heavy metals; leach ponds of cyanide and brine solutions; metallic dust; and waste rock. Environmental contamination at mine sites can be particularly challenging to evaluate due to the variety of substances present and their potential to move from terrestrial to aquatic habitats as well as into plants, animals and the atmosphere. USGS has capabilities and expertise that can aid with site characterization, injury determination, and restoration. 

To learn more about how USGS science supports the NRDAR program contact Jo Ellen Hinck, the USGS NRDAR Coordinator.

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

 

Browse USGS publications related to NRDA mining cases.

 

Examples of assessment and restoration activities are listed below.

 

Assessment Projects

Biota

  • Mercury Fluxes from Mercury Mines and Natural Sources to Wetlands and Their Impact on Biota

                  Principal Investigator - Josh Ackerman

Image: Phosphate Mine Pile
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
A phosphate mine tailing pile taken in the Southern Coastal Plain Ecoregion (FL) in July 2006.
  • Fish Injury Assessments for Phosphate Mines

                 Principal Investigators -Aïda Farag and Chris Mebane

                Principal Investigators - Ann Allert and Danielle Cleveland

  • Chemical Characterization of Relocated White Sturgeon 

                Principal Investigator - Stephen Cox

  • Effects of Methylmercury on Birds and Toxicity Benchmarks for Injury

                Principal Investigator - Josh Ackerman

  • Chemical Characterization and Histological and Biochemical Effects of Lead Exposure on Breeding Songbirds

                 Principal Investigators - Danielle Cleveland, Julia Lankton, Barnett Rattner, and Natalie Karouna-Renier

Soil and Sediment

  • Slag Characterization in a Riverine System Downstream of a Lead Smelter

                Principal Investigator - Stephen Cox

  • Mussel Community Associations with Sediment Metal Concentrations and Substrate Characteristics in a Lead Mining District

                  Principal Investigators - John Besser, Mark Wildhaber, and Chris Schmitt

Mussel kill Deep Fork River, OK
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Mussel kill downstream of the effluent discharge in the Deep Fork River in Oklahoma.
  • Mussel Injury from Metals in a Lead Mining District 

                 Principal Investigators - John Besser and Danielle Cleveland

  • Mussel Toxicity Study in a Riverine System Downstream of a Lead Smelter

                Principal Investigator - John Besser

Water

  • Modeling Geomorphic and Hydraulic Factors Associated with Freshwater Mussel Distributions within a Lead Mining District

                 Principal Investigator - Maura Roberts

 

 

Restoration Projects

UAS technology
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Remotely sensed data complement data collected using standard field observation techniques to document site conditions following disasters and to provide short- and long-term ecological monitoring of restoration progress.
  • Hydrologic Assessment for Restoration at the Questa Mine (New Mexico) 

                   Principal Investigator - Amy Galanter

  • UAS Data Collection for Restoration at the Questa Mine (New Mexico)

                   Principal Investigator - Matt Struckhoff

                 Principal Investigator - Matt Struckhoff

  • Vegetation surveys to support Restoration at St. Francois County Bonehole Restoration Site

                  Principal Investigator - Matt Struckhoff

 

 

 

 

 

NRDAR Cases
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

 

 

Explore the NRDAR Case Map and Document Library to learn more about individual cases.

 

 

 

 

 

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

 

 

 

Breeding songbird tissue analysis and metal concentrations in tissues, soil and invertebrates collected near nesting sites within the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District, 2016-19

This dataset provides results for the following: (1) metals concentrations in soils surrounding breeding song bird nest sites; (2) metals concentrations in invertebrates (earthworm and grub composites) collected near nest sites; (3) metals concentrations and delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity in avian blood samples; and (4) metals concentrations, indicators of oxidative stress a
By
Columbia Environmental Research Center

Hydraulic measurements from select reaches of the Big River, Missouri

This data release contains river bed surface grain size measurements, water-surface elevation measurements, and digital elevation models (DEMs) for select reaches of the Big River, Missouri. These data were collected in support of research assessing the hydraulic conditions of freshwater mussel habitat in the Big River. The individual metadata associated with each data type describe the process st
By
Columbia Environmental Research Center

Below are USGS publications associated with mining activities for specific NRDAR cases.

Filter Total Items: 18

Responses of juvenile mussels to metals in sediment and water of the Tri-State Mining District

The U.S. Geological Survey and collaborators from EcoAnalysts, Inc., completed field and laboratory studies during 2016–19 to evaluate the toxicity of metals to freshwater mussels in streams draining the Tri-State Mining District. This project consisted of (1) sampling and analysis of metals in water and sediment, (2) surveys of mussel assemblages at sites with suitable mussel habitat, (3) toxicit
Authors
John M. Besser, Chris D. Ivey, James L. Kunz, Nile E. Kemble, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jeffery Steevens, Heidi Dunn, Ryan Foley
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Effects of lead exposure on birds breeding in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District

Lead mining in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District began in the 1700s and continued for nearly 300 years; the waste piles associated with smelting, mining, and milling of lead ores have released metal residues that have contaminated soil and water in the region. Previous studies in the district have indicated potential harm to wildlife, including birds, because of elevated lead concentrati
Authors
Rebecka Brasso, Danielle M. Cleveland, Frank R. Thompson, David E. Mosby, Kathy Hixson, Melissa Roach, Barnett A. Rattner, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Julia S. Lankton
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Hydraulics of freshwater mussel habitat in select reaches of the Big River, Missouri

The Big River is a tributary to the Meramec River in south-central Missouri. It drains an area that has been historically one of the largest lead producers in the world, and associated mine wastes have contaminated sediments in much of the river corridor. This study investigated hydraulic conditions in four study reaches to evaluate the potential contribution of physical habitat dynamics to mechan
Authors
Maura O. Roberts, Robert B. Jacobson, Susannah O. Erwin
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Anderson Ranch wetlands hydrologic characterization in Taos County, New Mexico

The Anderson Ranch property (study area), located in Taos County, north-central New Mexico, was transferred from Chevron Mining, Inc. (CMI) to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) court-ordered settlement. The study area supports freshwater emergent wetlands and freshwater ponds. The settlement states that CMI will provide the
Authors
Amy E. Galanter, Zachary M. Shephard, Pamela Herrera-Olivas
By
Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center

Characterizing toxicity of metal‐contaminated sediments from the Upper Columbia River, Washington, USA, to benthic invertebrates

Sediments from the Upper Columbia River, Washington, USA, are contaminated with metals from smelting operations. We conducted short‐term and long‐term tests with the midge Chironomus dilutus and the amphipod Hyalella azteca and short‐term tests with the freshwater mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea with 54 sediments from the Upper Columbia River to characterize thresholds for toxicity of metals to benth
Authors
John M. Besser, Jeffery Steevens, James L. Kunz, William G. Brumbaugh, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Stephen E. Cox, Christopher A. Mebane, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Jesse A. Sinclair, Donald D. MacDonald
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Potential toxicity of dissolved metal mixtures (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) to early life stage white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Upper Columbia River, Washington, United States

The Upper Columbia River (UCR) received historical releases of smelter waste resulting in elevated metal concentrations in downstream sediments. Newly hatched white sturgeon hide within the rocky substrate at the sediment–water interface in the UCR for a few weeks before swim-up. Hiding behavior could expose them to metal contaminants, and metal toxicity could contribute to population declines in
Authors
Laurie S. Balistrieri, Christopher A. Mebane, Stephen E. Cox, Holly J. Puglis, Robin Calfee, Ning Wang
By
Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Mineral Resources Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Biomarker responses of Peromyscus leucopus exposed to lead and cadmium in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District

Biomarker responses and histopathological lesions have been documented in laboratory mammals exposed to elevated concentrations of lead and cadmium. The exposure of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) to these metals and the potential associated toxic effects were examined at three contaminated sites in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District and at a reference site in MO, USA. Mice from t
Authors
W. Nelson Beyer, Stan W. Casteel, Kristen R. Friedrichs, Eric Gramlich, Ruth A. Houseright, John W. Nichols, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Dae Young Kim, Kathleen Rangen, Barnett A. Rattner, Sandra L. Schultz
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Eastern Ecological Science Center

A comparison of four porewater sampling methods for metal mixtures and dissolved organic carbon and the implications for sediment toxicity evaluations

Evaluations of sediment quality conditions are commonly conducted using whole-sediment chemistry analyses but can be enhanced by evaluating multiple lines of evidence, including measures of the bioavailable forms of contaminants. In particular, porewater chemistry data provide information that is directly relevant for interpreting sediment toxicity data. Various methods for sampling porewater for
Authors
Danielle M. Cleveland, William G. Brumbaugh, Donald D. MacDonald
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Occurrence, distribution, and volume of metals-contaminated sediment of selected streams draining the Tri-State Mining District, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas, 2011–12

Lead and zinc were mined in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) of southwest Missouri, northeast Oklahoma, and southeast Kansas for more than 100 years. The effects of mining on the landscape are still evident, nearly 50 years after the last mine ceased operation. The legacies of mining are the mine waste and discharge of groundwater from underground mines. The mine-waste piles and underground mi
Authors
D. Charlie Smith
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Central Midwest Water Science Center

Mining-related sediment and soil contamination in a large Superfund site: Characterization, habitat implications, and remediation

Historical mining activity (1850–1970) in the now inactive Tri-State Mining District provided an ongoing source of lead and zinc to the environment including the US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site located in Cherokee County, southeast Kansas, USA. The resultant contamination adversely affected biota and caused human health problems and risks. Remediation in the Superfund site requir
Authors
Kyle E. Juracek, K. D. Drake
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Kansas Water Science Center

Toxic exposure of songbirds to lead in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District

Mining and smelting in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District has caused widespread contamination of soils with lead (Pb) and other metals. Soils from three study sites sampled in the district contained from approximately 1,000–3,200 mg Pb/kg. Analyses of earthworms [33–4,600 mg Pb/kg dry weight (dw)] collected in the district showed likely high Pb exposure of songbirds preying on soil organi
Authors
W. Nelson Beyer, J. Christian Franson, John B. French, Thomas May, Barnett A. Rattner, Valerie I. Shearn-Bochsler, Sarah E. Warner, John Weber, David Mosby
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Phytotoxicity of zinc and manganese to seedlings grown in soil contaminated by zinc smelting

Historic emissions from two zinc smelters have injured the forest on Blue Mountain near Palmerton, Pennsylvania, USA. Seedlings of soybeans and five tree species were grown in a greenhouse in a series of mixtures of smelter-contaminated and reference soils and then phytotoxic thresholds were calculated. As little as 10% Palmerton soil mixed with reference soil killed or greatly stunted seedlings o
Authors
W. N. Beyer, C.E. Green, M. Beyer, R. L. Chaney
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center