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Release Date: April 27, 2010
Contact: Mark Van Sciver, (919) 733-9190
RALEIGH – The N.C. Division of Public Health is conducting a public health assessment for the Ore Knob Mine NPL site in Ashe County. The final draft report is available for public review and comment through June 14.
A public health assessment analyzes information about harmful substances at a site and evaluates whether exposure to those substances might cause harm to people. The information for this assessment comes from agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the North Carolina Department of the Environment and Natural Resources. The data evaluated for this site was obtained from 1987 through 2008.
Copper mining occurred intermittently at the Ore Knob Mine from the 1850s through 1962. Waste from site operations is known to have contaminated on-site surface water and sediment with metals. Mining-related activities have also affected downstream surface waters, sediment, and floodplain soils as a result of surface soil and water runoff.
The report will be available at:
Ashe County Public Library Ashe County CourtHouse
148 Library Road 150 Government Bldg., Suite 2500
West Jefferson Jefferson
On the web at: www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/oee/hace/ncmap/CountyInfo.html#Ashe. Written comments on the report may be directed to the N.C. Division of Public Health’s Health Assessment, Consultation and Education (HACE) Program by mail, fax, or e-mail.
By mail:
HACE Program (Re: OKM NPL Site Comments)
OEEB/DPH/DHHS
1912 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1912
By Fax: (919) 870-4807
By E-mail: nchace@dhhs.nc.gov
