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Ore Knob Mine
National Information
Additional Resources
- Site Cleanup Terms - can be found in EPA's glossary
- EPA Guides to Cleanup Technologies
- Superfund Community Involvement (PDF) (17 pp, 130K, About PDF)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: NCN000409895Location: Jefferson, Ashe County NC
Lat/Long: 36.402, -81.328
Congressional District: 05
NPL Status: Proposed: 04/09/09; Final: 09/23/09
Affected Media: Surface Water, Ground Water, Sediment, Soil
Cleanup Status: Removal Ongoing, RI Start FY2010
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Undetermined
Site Manager: Loften Carr (carr.loften@epa.gov)
Removal Status: An Emergency Response removal action was begun in Fall 2008 to stabilize the Tailings Impoundment dam and prevent a catastrophic release of tailings to the downstream receiving waters. The emergency removal action is currently ongoing. (See: epaosc.org website). Work has begun at the 1950s Mine and Mill Area. Stumps that were covering the mine tailings have been removed and drainage has been improved to re-route water and allow easier access to the area. The mine tailings are being excavated and transported to the larger mine Tailings Impoundment.
Remedial Status: Ore Knob Mine Site was proposed to the National Priorities List (NPL) in April 2009 and finalized as an NPL site in September 2009. An investigation began in May 2010 to determine if groundwater in the area has been affected by mining operations. Four drinking well water sampling events have been conducted to date. The fourth, most recent drinking water well sampling event was conducted the week of November 1, 2010. EPA is currently initiating two additional investigations. The first study is an interim Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) to determine the feasibility of providing an alternate water source to those affected by groundwater contamination from the Site. A full-scale RI/FS will assess the other affected parts of the site including soils, surface water, and sediment for long-term site clean up.
Site Location
The Ore Knob Mine Site is located in Ashe County, North Carolina, approximately 12 miles south of the Virginia state line, 45 miles southeast of Bristol, Tennessee, and 8 miles east of the town of Jefferson, North Carolina.
The Ore Knob Mine Site consists of three principal areas that were directly affected by mining; 19th Century Operations Area, 1950s Mine and Mill Area, and Tailings Impoundment. The Ore Knob mine site was host to intermittent mining of copper ore from the 1850s through 1962, with most mining occurring during two main periods of activity; 1873 to 1883, and 1957 to 1962. Mining and mineral-related activities at the site included mining, concentration, roasting, smelting, and waste management. Wastes from site operations are known to have contaminated surface water and sediment with acid and heavy metals. In addition, mining-related activities have affected downstream surface waters, sediment, and floodplain soils. Acid mine drainage from the three principal areas described above has degraded downstream receiving waters, including the entire 1.5-mile length of Ore Knob Branch, the entire 2.25-mile length of Little Peak Creek, about 2.9 miles of Peak Creek from its confluence with Ore Knob Branch to its confluence with South Fork New River, and South Fork New River for some unknown distance downstream of Peak Creek.
The 19th Century Operations Area: The 19th Century Operations Area includes a series of barren and nearly barren areas near the top of Ore Knob that comprise waste rock dumps from historic and more recent mine shafts as well as areas where ore was roasted to drive off sulfur and smelted to recover copper. The area encompasses approximately 10 acres.
1950s Mine and Mill Site: The 1950s Mine and Mill Area is a 15-acre area that lies about 0.3 miles west-southwest of the 19th century operations area. Ore crushing milling and refining (flotation separation / beneficiation) took place on the mill site during 1957-1962 operations. The former mill site is comprised of derelict ore bins, concrete mill foundations, a transformer building, and other ruins, as well as a small sawmill. These buildings were constructed on fill material, which is likely to be mine development (waste) rock derived from sinking the mine shaft for this operation. A two-acre area to the north contains approximately 10,000 cubic yards of tailings from the mill and waste rock; this area is now mostly covered with tree stumps. Just northeast of the tailings is a 2-acre former pond, now a wetland, where process water was stored. Underground mine works extend from the main shafts at the 1950s Mine and Mill Area to the top of Ore Knob at the highest part of the 19th Century Operations Area. At least 11 shafts extend from the surface to a depth of 1100 feet below land surface at the 1950s Mine and Mill Area. The mine works are flooded with ground water. Iron, manganese, and other metals have contaminated the ground water and affected some private drinking water wells adjacent to the site.
Tailings Impoundment: The 20-acre Tailings Impoundment lies about 0.3 miles northeast of the 19th Century Operations Area and primarily contains tailings from the 1957-1962 operation. An estimated 720,000 cubic yards of material is deposited here. Water from two small tributaries and possible perimeter springs flows onto the tailings and forms a small pond on the southern (upstream) end of the tailings. Most of the water flows into the inlet from a 24-inch concrete pipe that was laid beneath the tailings prior to their deposition. The pipe was at least partly blocked in July 2007 but was flowing again by October 2007. The tailings impoundment dam consists of a waste rock “starter dam” that serves as a buttress for the upper dam, which was constructed of successive lifts of tailings slurried to the impoundment from 1950s Mine and Mill Area. In all, the dam is about 60 feet in height and 700 feet wide, located approximately 1,000 feet from the upstream end of the Tailings Impoundment. The dam has been subjected to severe erosion; eroded tailings have completely filled a sediment pond at the dam’s base. Acid mine drainage and tailings have contaminated Ore Knob Branch along its entire length as well as Peak Creek and the South Fork of the New River. An Emergency Response removal action began in Fall 2008 to stabilize the tailings dam and prevent a catastrophic release of tailings to the downstream receiving waters and is ongoing. The above description is that of the tailings impoundment prior to the EPA removal action.
Ground water and surface water have been contaminated with acid mine drainage and metals from prior site mining operations. Some private drinking water wells have high concentrations of acid (low pH), manganese, iron, cobalt and other metals. Downstream receiving waters are contaminated with acid causing low pH and metals such as aluminum, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese and zinc.
Site Cleanup PlanEPA began an investigation in May 2010 to determine if groundwater in the area has been affected by mining operations. EPA's Remedial Program has conducted private drinking water well sample collection the weeks of April 26, 2010, May 24, 2010, July 7, and November 1, 2010 to sample wells and sample additional wells and springs. EPA is currently initiating two additional investigations. The first study is an interim Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) to determine the feasibility of providing an alternate water source to those affected by groundwater contamination from the Site. A full-scale RI/FS will assess the other affected parts of the site including soils, surface water and sediment for long-term site clean up.
Clean-up ProgressEPA began an Emergency Response removal action in Fall 2008 to stabilize the tailings dam and prevent a catastrophic release of tailings to the downstream receiving waters and is ongoing. Activities completed to date include: (a) geotechnical stability analysis and slope stability analysis of the Tailings Impoundment dam face by the United States Bureau of Reclamation (BoR); (b) excavation of approximately 16,000 cubic yards of tailings from the Tailings Impoundment sediment pond to obtain necessary freeboard in the pond; (c) construction of an approximately 2400-foot-long, 20-foot wide diversion channel that will direct storm water around the Tailings Impoundment to minimize erosion of the dam face and acid-mine drainage; (d) filling of four ponds in the vicinity of the Tailings Impoundment to reduce surface water; and (e) refacing of the Tailings Impoundment dam face.
In fiscal year 2010, EPA's’s Site Remediation and Site Evaluation Branch have started Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Studies (RI/FS) to determine the nature and extent of contamination. EPA is currently initiating two additional investigations. The first study is an interim RI/FS to determine the feasibility of providing an alternate water source to those affected by groundwater contamination from the Site. A full-scale RI/FS will assess the other affected parts of the site including soils, surface water and sediment for long-term site clean up.
EPA initiated an emergency response action in April 2010 to provide bottled drinking water those households with contaminated or potentially contaminated private drinking water wells. EPA's Remedial Program is coordinating with the EPA's Emergency Response and Removal Program to evaluate private drinking water wells surrounding the site. EPA's Remedial Program has conducted private drinking water well sample collection the weeks of April 26, 2010, May 24, 2010, July 7, and November 1, 2010 to sample wells and sample additional wells and springs. Additional private drinking water well sample collection will be conducted as necessary as the data is evaluated to determine the extent of private wells affected by the site.
EPA's Enforcement Team has identified a number of potentially responsible parties (PRPs) associated with the Ore Knob Mine Superfund Site, and is engaged in ongoing enforcement activities. On November 9, 2010, EPA published notice of a proposed Settlement Agreement with one PRP, The Marsh Foundation, Inc. The proposed Settlement Agreement is open for public comment through December 9, 2010. More information on this proposed Settlement Agreement can be obtained at EPA Region 4's Superfund Enforcement webpage .
Community InvolvementEPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the site to solicit input and to ensure that the public remains informed about site activities throughout the site cleanup process. Outreach activities have included public notice and informational meetings on cleanup progress and activities. EPA held Public Meetings April 21, 2010, and November 4, 2010 to address public concerns regarding groundwater contamination and update the community regarding site activities. EPA is coordinating with the North Carolina Department of Public Health to provide the community additional resources regarding contaminated private drinking water wells. The Remedial Program and the Emergency Response and Removal Program will continue to conduct community involvement activities at the site in the future.
Future WorkEPA will be conducting the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Studies (RI/FS) that were initiated in Fall 2010 to determine the nature and extent of contamination. The study will initially focus on determining a long term solution for contaminated drinking water wells affected by the site. An additional secondary focus will be to determine a long term solution to alleviate acid mine drainage contaminated surface waters leaving the site and affecting downstream surface waters.
Site Administrative Documents
Site Repository
For more information or to view any site-related documents, please visit the site information repository at the following location. As new documents are generated, they will be placed in the information repository for public information.
Mr. Jim McQueen
Ashe County Library
148 Library Drive
West Jefferson, North Carolina 28694
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.