Mercury in Our Environment: Black Butte Mine Superfund Site

On September 26th, the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council welcomes Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Black Butte Mine Superfund Site Project Team members for our September 2017 Science Pub presentation entitled Mercury in Our Environment: Black Butte Mine Superfund Site. Dave Tomten, Chris Eckley, Bryn Thoms and Howard Young, will share information about mercury in our environment and discuss the importance of mercury contamination prevention in Cottage Grove Reservoir. Mining Geochemist Chris Eckley will explain his research on mercury methylation in the reservoir. Chris Eckley is a Mining Geochemist with the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 in Seattle, WA. His PhD and postdoctoral work has focused exclusively on different aspects of the mercury cycle. In his current position at the EPA, Mr. Eckley continues to spend more than half his time on mercury pollution. Mr. Eckley authored/co-authored 27 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 50 conference presentations that focus on various aspects of the mercury cycle. His September 2013 publication on mercury was featured as Science Magazine’s Editor’s Choice. He is an organizer and sub-group leader of the Western North American Mercury Synthesis project, a multi-agency and multi-national organization funded by a grant from the USGS’s Power Center with the mandate of publishing integrated scientific research papers. Mr. Eckley’s involvement with EPA Region 10’s investigations at the Black Butte Mine Superfund Site add to the knowledge database for decision making in mercury remediation. Bryn Thoms is a hydrogeologist with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) based in the Eugene office. Mr. Thoms has been the DEQ’s project manager for cleanup of several former mercury mines in Oregon and of Black Butte Mine since 2003. He has a B.S. in Geology from Oregon State University and has worked in environmental consulting until 1998 when he was hired by the DEQ. In addition to managing the cleanup of several mercury mines in Oregon, Mr. Thoms participates in international cleanup of mercury-contaminated sites. Howard Young is a contractor for the EPA and the project geologist on the Black Butte Mine Superfund Site. He has been involved in the planning and implementation of the remedial investigation at the site since 2012. He is a licensed geologist with over 16 years of experience conducting environmental investigations and remediation at mining and industrials sites with soil, groundwater, sediment, and surface water contamination. Prior to his work in the environmental industry, Mr. Young worked as an exploration geologist mapping and evaluating precious and base metal mineral deposits at properties located in Nevada, Alaska, and Peru. Mr. Young holds a B.S. from Washington State University. Dave Tomten is with the EPA Region 10 located in Boise, Idaho. He is a Superfund project manager and works on Black Butte and several other large-scale mining projects. He has nearly 30 years of experience working on a broad range of projects that span the life-cycle of mining, from permitting and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) work on proposed mines, compliance and oversight of active mines, to the investigation and cleanup of inactive and abandoned mines. He is a founding member of EPA Region 10’s Mining Team and a member of EPA’s National Mining Team. Mr. Tomten earned his B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and M.S. from the University of Utah College of Mines and Earth Sciences. The Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council hosts a free monthly public meeting series called the Coast Fork Science Pub on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 5-7pm at the Axe & Fiddle, 657 E. Main Street in Cottage Grove. The event begins with informal socializing, trivia, prizes and updates about the watershed and watershed council during the first hour. Then our Science Pub presentation begins at 6pm. Participants are encouraged to support the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council by ordering food & drinks from 5-7:30pm, as 10% of the sales from evening sales will benefit the Watershed Council. The event is free to the public and all ages are welcome. For further information, visit Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council on Facebook and www.coastfork.org.