Abandoned mine safety fund annual report

              Page 1 of 3
Abandoned Mine Safety Fund Annual Report
December 1, 2007
Statutory Authority:
ARS §27-129: Locating abandoned mines
A. … the state mine inspector shall establish a program to locate, inventory, classify and eliminate public safety hazards at
abandoned mines …
In addition, ARS § 27-131: Abandoned mines safety fund; annual report
A. …the abandoned mines safety fund is established consisting of:
1. Gifts, grants, and contributions specifically designated for the fund.
2. Monies that may be appropriated by the legislature to the fund to match the gifts, grants and contributions based on
the preceding year’s expenditure report required under subsection D of this section
B. The state mine inspector shall administer the fund. Monies in the fund are exempt from lapsing pursuant to section 35-
190.
C. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated to the inspector to ensure public safety at abandoned mines on land
owned by this state as provided by section 27-129. The inspector shall use monies in the fund to pay contractors for
actual abatement costs to fill, fence or plug shafts and adits and not to pay administrative salaries and other costs.
The inspector shall consult with the state land commissioner to identify and prioritize the abandoned mine sites on
state lands to be considered for abatement.
D. Each year the inspector shall submit an annual report to the joint legislative budget committee on or before December
1 concerning the expenditure of monies from the fund and contributions to the fund during the preceding fiscal
year. The report shall itemize each expense paid from the fund and shall describe the actions taken to ensure
public safety.
Financial Statement:
The following is a summary of financial transactions during State Fiscal 2007:
Activity Amount Closure Entity
Beginning
Balance
$4,815
Funds
Received July
1, 2007
$0.00 FY2007 General Appropriation
Page 2 of 3
Activity Amount Closure Entity
Deposit, May
3, 2007
$50,000 Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc. formally known as
Phelps Dodge.
Ending
Balance
June 30, 2007
$54,815
The following is a summary of mine shafts secured during State Fiscal 2007:
Project Name Project Details County Expected Timeline Project Costs
Gibson shafts 6 Shafts 60’ to 100’ filled Pinal March 10- 2007 In-kind services
Jerome Carrow 2 Shafts 60’ and 100’
Fenced and signed
Yavapai March 15- 2007 In-kind services
Chloride shafts 3 shafts 80’ 80’ 100’
Fenced and signed
Yavapai March 30- 2007 In-kind services
Florence Jct. shaft 1 shaft 60’ Fenced and
signed
Pinal May 17- 2007 In-kind services
North Butte shafts 3 shafts 42’ 80’ 100’
Fenced and signed (Bid going
on to be filled)
Pinal June 1- 2007 In-kind services
Reymert Mine 4 shafts 200’ to 300’ filled Pinal June 13- 2007 In-kind Services
Cochran shaft 1 shaft 25’ fenced and
signed
Pinal June 28 & 29- 2007 In-kind services
Totals 20 Projects covering
7 mine sites
2 Counties involved.
$0.00
Page 3 of 3
Summary of Future Projects:
Abandoned Mine Land Physical Safety Sites
Thirty-five projects covering four mine sites have been identified for closure in FY2008 on State managed lands in Arizona. The most
significant types of mine hazard features are open shafts, adits, and stopes. These areas typically have high use for backcountry touring and
off highway vehicle activities, rock hounding, and recreational mineral collection by winter visitors, or are located near populated areas.
Remediation at key sites is guided by focused inventory assessments starting with those sites that are clustered in proximity to sites with high
public exposure.
Priority Physical Safety Hazard Sites for closure FY2008: Additional work is planned for areas not included in the list.
The Arizona State Mine Inspector’s ability to accomplish this workload will be based on level of funding. We believe we have made
significant progress in the last year in establishing AML teams that are poised to accomplish the work, in raising the awareness internally and
externally of the importance of the AML program to public health and safety, and in garnering other agency management support to move
forward with this strategy.
Project Name Project Details County Expected Timeline Estimated Project Costs
Charleston Lead Mine 3 shafts 60’ 80’ 100’
backfilled
Cochise September 26, 27, 28 -
2007
In-kind services + $3100.00
Ford Mine 5 shafts 60’ to 100’ fixed
fencing and signed (To be
backfilled)
Pinal October 29- 2007 Pending RFP
Black Hills 25 shafts 100’ to 200’
signed (To be backfilled)
Pinal November 15- 2007 Pending RFP
Florence Jct. Mines 2 Shafts 65’ 85’ (To
bebackfilled)
Pinal January 16- 2008 Pending RFP
Totals 35 Projects covering
4 Mine sites
2 Counties involved.
Pending