After a long gap of 60 years at last Lake Chelan of the Washington state is now free from toxic mine pollution. A cleanup project brings this fruitful result.
According to Phys.org, the Holden Mine in the Washington state was active from 1938 to 1957 was the key cause of this toxic mine pollution. The mine was used to extract copper, gold, silver and zinc. It was left abandoned in 1957, but that could not stop the contamination of the Lake Chelan for the last sixty years. In a word, toxic metals, like copper, aluminum, zinc, cadmium, and iron polluted the environment for a long time.
Most shockingly, a hazardous orange coating on the streambed of the creek was formed due to the deposition of these metals. This situation became worse with the formation of tailing piles and waste rock from ten million tons of mined ore. But, a continuous effort for five years at a stretch to clean up the Lake Chelan, at last, brings the most coveted outcome. To complete the cleanup process about $500 million was spent that has finally helped to prevent the contamination from the mine.
The mesmerizing Lake Chelan is famous for its scenic beauty. The lake is a key destination for recreation and located in the Wenatchee National Forest. Kari Grover Wier, the district ranger of the Wenatchee National Forest, says the creek that actually feeds the Lake Chelan now contains the clean water.
The above-mentioned cleanup process to prevent contamination in the Lake Chelan was paid by the famous Australian-British Rio Tinto Group mining company. The funds of the taxpayers were not used at all to complete this project. A wall of concrete barrier (30-to-90 foot) was erected between the Railroad Creek and the toxic mine tailings piles to prevent the ongoing contamination. Even the huge amount of the contaminated ground water is treated on a regular basis at a treatment plant.
The Spokesman-Review reported that the waste rock piles of 250,000 tons were stabilized as part of the project. The Chelan and the Douglas counties were delivered $240 million because essential equipment and important materials were sourced locally. That means the local communities have played a significant role in producing clean water in the Lake Chelan.
According to Kari Grover Wier, it is a great victory for the human, aquatic species, and the wildlife species also. All of them depend on the water coming from Railroad Creek and the Lake Chelan. The best part is shrubs and various native trees will soon be planted on the top of the tailing piles and the mine waste. The aim of this initiative is to avail an overall clean environment.
