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NM Approves Reclamation For Closed Pumice Mine

KRWG News – ESPANOLA, N.M. (KRWG) The state Mining and Minerals Division has approved the reclamation of the closed General Pumice Mine in northern New Mexico.

The old open pit mine in Rio Arriba County is owned by the city of Espanola.

Espanola did the reclamation work on the site in 2009 and 2010.

The mine, which operated in the 1970s, includes about 15 acres and had two open pits and several stockpiles.

Reclamation work plugged three monitor wells, re-graded and contoured the pits to eliminate high walls, covered the disturbed area with top soil and put in native plants.

State officials say the project removed safety hazards and left a stable landscape to regrow native vegetation.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. KRWG