Environmental Assessment, Abandoned Mine Lands Safety Installations, Keane Wonder Mine Complex

The National Park Service proposes implementing safety installation options at the Keane Wonder Mine complex abandoned mine lands in Death Valley National Park. The purpose of this project is to mitigate human and physical safety hazards present at various abandoned mine openings in Death Valley. The EA was released today and are enclosed for your review and comment.

This action is needed to; improve visitor and staff safety at Death Valley National Park while accommodating the use of the abandoned mine land sites by wildlife (principally bats), minimize impacts on historic fabric and the visual character of the historic landscape, and minimize potential adverse effects on natural resources using mitigation measures.

The EA examines two alternatives; no action and the NPS preferred alternative. The preferred alternative consists of closing abandoned mine openings at Death Valley. There are a variety of safety Installations (such as metal grates, fencing bat gates and cupolas, cable mesh nets, foam plugs covered with backfill, or back-filling alone) that would be used in mine openings throughout the Park. These safety installation techniques would be implemented by the NPS either individually, or in combination under the preferred alternative.

Document Content:

Environmental Assessment, Abandoned Mine Lands Safety Installations, Keane Wonder Mine Complex   (3.7 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.