SMARA Compliance Program Services
Imperial County
Background
Imperial County has 36 surface mining operations, ranging in scope from small operations producing specialty products to the state’s largest active gold and gypsum mines. The large aggregate producing mines in the county supply the Imperial Valley and San Diego with construction aggregates.
Challenges
Since 2014, the County has engaged Benchmark Resources to assist in its SMARA compliance program, involving annual mining inspections, financial assurance reviews, and various matters surrounding compliance with mining use permits and approved reclamation plans. The contract also includes performing condition of approval requirements for each use permit.
Specifically, we:
- consolidated three reclamation plans into one reclamation plan and included an expansion area for the largest operating gold mine in California and
- interpreted reclamation plan requirements regarding end use, drainage, and agriculture production during the process of final reclamation and closure of an aggregate mine.
Solutions
Benchmark Resources’ breath of experience in mining and reclamation throughout California was put to use in this environmentally diverse county with a wide diversity of mineral resources and a range of approaches to mining and reclamation.