El Paso, Newmont recognized for reclamation of mining locations

El Paso Corp. got stuck with the tab for cleaning up the old Comstock Mill site in Storey County.

But the company did such a good job that it received the Nevada Excellence in Mine Reclamation Award.

The Houston-based company put seven years into the cleanup of the site at American Flats near Virginia City. Much of the time was devoted to planning the demolition of mill buildings, deconstruction of a dam and reclamation of a 40-acre tailings impoundment.

El Paso Corp., however, never had actually operated the mill.

At one time, the mill had been operated by Houston Oil and Gas, which was acquired by Tenneco Minerals, which in turn was acquired by El Paso Corp.

"While the period of ownership and operation was brief for that subsidiary, the other owners and operators for the site were insolvent. Therefore, El Paso recognized its responsibility to work with the Bureau of Land

Management and reclaim the site," said Robert Newberry, a spokesman for the company.

The company was not under orders from either the state or federal government to reclaim the property.

A second reclamation award went to Newmont Mining Corp. for the wildlife habitat it created at its Lone Tree Mine in Humboldt County near Battle Mountain.

Chukar, antelope, mule deer and other species now frequent the reclaimed areas.

The Nevada Excellence in Mine Reclamation Awards are given by the state divisions of minerals, environmental protection and wildlife, the federal Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Sixty-one projects and three individuals have been recognized since the awards program began in 1990.