Nye mining project wins award

An effort in Nye County was among those being recognized at the Nevada Excellence in Mine Reclamation Awards at the annual Nevada Mining Association Convention Sept. 7 at South Lake Tahoe.

Barrick Gold USA was named recipient of an award for pit lake remediation for the Bullfrog Mine Partial Pit Backfill in Nye County, the Nevada Commission on Mineral Resources announced.

Barrick Gold completed mining of the Bullfrog Mine in 1999. The pit was partially backfilled to prevent the formation of a pit lake in 2000, the commission reported. Groundwater levels were regularly monitored as the system continued to rebound, the commission added. The goals of the annual State Reclamation Awards include encouraging operators and explorers to submit sound reclamation plans, raise industry standards, increase public awareness of the positive aspects of mining and encourage innovation in reclamation techniques.

“This year’s award winners met these goals and are to be commended for their efforts,” said Rich Perry, administrator of the Nevada Division of Minerals. “By sharing their work efforts with others, the Nevada Mining and Exploration industries continue to lead the nation in successful reclamation, community partnerships and environmental protection practices.”

This is the 28th year of the Nevada Excellence in Mine Reclamation Awards. The Awards Committee consists of representatives from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service and the Division of Minerals.

For more information about submitting an entry or nominating an entity for the award, see the Division of Minerals website at www.minerals.nv.gov