Anaconda Copper Mine Cleanup and Potential Reopening

cleanup nearing completion; potential reopening under consideration

The Anaconda Copper Mine, Nevada's largest abandoned mine, is nearing completion of its cleanup, which is slated for 2030. The mine covers 3,400 acres in Lyon County and has been subject to extensive remediation efforts to address pollution from decades of mining. The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering selling its 2,000-acre portion of the site to Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO), which, along with Singatse Peak Services LLC, would make the mine wholly private property. This sale could expedite cleanup but would reduce federal environmental oversight. There are concerns about potential reopening of mining operations, which would be subject only to state permitting, raising fears about environmental impacts, water depletion, and lack of public review.