Closed mines a safety risk

What do we know about abandoned mines in our area?

Pima County has a rich history as one of the most heavily mined districts is the state. And with more than 100,000 abandoned mines scattered throughout Arizona, there is a possibility that some may be hidden in our yards or along our favorite hiking trails in the Santa Rita Mountains.

Harold Metz, land manager of Twin Buttes Properties in Sahuarita, says that abandoned mine shafts on Twin Buttes land have all been scouted out and filled with dirt.

“To the best of my knowledge, we’ve found all the mines on our property, most of them dating back from the late 1800’s.” But because claimants weren’t required get permits back then, he said, there are no records of where the mines would be located.

There are also known abandoned mines in the McGee Ranch area and the Santa Rita Experimental Range, owned by the University of Arizona.

“A lot of people don’t realize the impact that mining has had on our state, and consequently don’t have any idea of the magnitude of this problem,” said Arizona State Mine Inspector Joe Hart, who worked at the Duval Mining Corp. in Kingman for 21 years before being elected to the state Legislature.

Many early mines were dug by prospectors with the help of a few friends and a mule, and can be anywhere from 100 to a few thousand feet deep, he says.

One abandoned mine in Superior is 4,000 feet deep, Hart said.

The mine shaft that 13-year-old Rikki Howard and her 10-year-old sister, of Chloride, Ariz., drove into on their ATV last week, was 125 feet deep. Rikki Howard was killed and Casie Hicks sustained critical injuries, spending the night trapped underneath the ATV before being discovered.

The tragedy has brought the issue of abandoned mine safety to the attention of the national media, though the issue itself hardly a new one.

“There’s just horror story after horror story,” said Hart, who recounted one incident in the 1950s where a cowboy from Wikiup, the historic gold mining town near Wickenberg, fell into a mineshaft while riding his horse, which landed on top of him.

“The horse tried to jump over the shaft, and did, but the earth around it just fell away. This is just one safety hazard with these old mines; the ground around the opening is often incredibly unstable and likely to cave in.”

Other safety concerns include the possible presence of poisonous gasses and unstable explosives, which don’t deteriorate over time.

With the state’s rapid rate of new development, what used to be the middle of nowhere is now literally someone’s backyard. The issue of abandoned mine safely is more relevant today than it ever has been.

Since 1992, more than 10,000 mines have been inventoried and mapped by the State Mine Inspector’s office, 1,200 of which were determined to have posed an extreme risk to the public.

Hart says that many are unaware of the dangers, and go exploring old mines looking for treasure. A secured mine in Avondale, 50 feet from a house, was “breached” recently, when officials discovered a hole cut into the fence surrounding the 1940’s war-effort mine, and a fire hose used to repel down the 500-foot shaft. The perpetrator was probably looking for copper or brass remnants to sell, he said.

State law requires owners to fence mine shafts and post warning signs, but with many mines it is difficult to determine ownership. Complications arise due to modern zoning laws, or the shaft being located on private or tribal land. Some mine closings have been delayed because of endangered bat species, which commonly use mines shafts as a roosting area.

Since February, 13 mines have been closed in Arizona, which is “shameful,” says Hart. “We wanted to close 40.”

But a limited budget of 1.6 million a year and a small staff are proving to be impediments. The Mine Inspector’s office thrives on private donations, like the $50,000 contribution made this year by local mining giant Phelps Dodge. Another $50,000 came from Arizona’s Abandoned Mine Safety Fund, established by a state Senate bill in 1998.

Hart wants to get the word out to the public about the risks posed by the state’s abandoned mines.

“It’s imperative that we make a greater effort to secure these mines. Hopefully something positive can come out of this tragedy.”

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726