MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management announces the availability, for public review and comment, of the administrative record and the draft engineering evaluation and cost analysis (EE/CA), for the Chicago and Research Mine sites, located near the town of Middletown, in Lake County.

The administrative record is the file containing all documents which the BLM has used to support its decisions on appropriate response actions to be taken at the site.

The BLM is performing a “non-time critical” removal action at the site pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended.

The EE/CA will identify the BLM’s preferred alternative for the response actions to be taken at the Site. Other documents will be added to the administrative record as cleanup work progresses.

The EE/CA and Administrative Record is available for review during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the BLM’s Ukiah Field Office, located at 2550 N. State St., Ukiah, CA.

The Chicago and Research mines site is located in the Dry Creek Mining District southwest of Middletown.

The Chicago Mine was located in the 1860s and worked intermittently until 1968 when it was quit claimed to the owner of the Research Mine.

The Research Mine was located in 1929 and operated intermittently until it closed in 1978. The mines site includes approximately 20 acres of BLM-administered public land.

 

The BLM strongly encourages interested members of the public to comment, in writing, on the documents contained in the EE/CA as well as the administrative record.

All comments must be received in writing on or before Jan. 6, 2012, to be considered and responded to in the final EE/CA decision.

 

BLM strongly encourages interested members of the public to comment, in writing, on the EE/CA as well as the administrative record.

Comments received by Jan. 6, 2012, will be considered and responded to in the final EE/CA decision.

Comments must be received in writing and through the BLM's Web site at http://www.blm.gov/ca/ukiah, by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., by fax to 707-468-4027, or by mail to BLM Ukiah Field Office, attention Gary Sharpe, 2550 N. State St., Ukiah, CA 95482.