Juniper Mine Completion Delayed
Stanislaus National Forest, CA — Stanislaus National Forest Officials say they will need one more construction season to finish the Juniper Uranium Mine Restoration Project.
Forest Spokesperson Jerry Snyder says “Unfortunately a series of thunderstorms over the summer caused delays in construction so we’re just going to have to put off covering the mine for a little bit, but the waste piles themselves have been removed and placed back into the open pit at this point.” He adds, “It is much more prudent to wait until next year to install the cover system.”
Snyder says the cover system includes a plastic liner, covered by a geotextile fabric. They then add nearly three feet of soil over the top to stop erosion. He says the plastic and fabric covering can be easily damaged by thunderstorms, freezing conditions, snow and ice.
The mine is on Eagle Meadow Road. This summer crews dumped piles of waste rock materials surrounding the mine back into the open pit. In 2011, a rock under-drain was constructed at the bottom of the pit to capture seepage and spring water for transport under the replaced material rather than through it. A toe berm was built at the mouth of the pit just above a sediment catch basin. The basin will be monitored for the next several years to gage progress.
Click here for a map of the mine area.
