National Enforcement Initiatives for Fiscal Years 2014-2016: Reducing Pollution from Mineral Processing Operations
Fast Fact
Enforcement at gold mines resulted in reducing 180 million pounds of mercury hazardous waste.
Problem
Mining and mineral processing facilities generate more toxic and hazardous waste than any other industrial sector, costing billions of dollars to address the public health and environmental threats to communities. EPA has, through this NEI, reduced the risk of mining waste contamination of drinking water, rivers, and streams, and work to cleanup mining sites across the nation.
Goal
This initiative will return to the base enforcement program level for hazardous waste beginning in fiscal year 2017. Recent settlements that address some high risk mineral processing facilities have helped provide examples for how to resolve future cases at other high risk facilities in this sector.
Progress on Reducing Pollution
The following maps and charts show EPA's progress in inspecting and addressing high risk mineral processing facilities.
- Cumulative number of inspected and addressed mineral processing facilities
- EPA's progress toward inspecting and addressing phosphoric acid facilities
Status of mineral processing facilities (Map shows addressed and unaddressed facilities)