Oregon Public Broadcasting

One of the largest mercury mines in the Northwest is likely to receive federal Superfund status, according to an announcement Wednesday from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Black Butte mine outside Cottage Grove operated from the late 19th century into the 1960s. During that time, it accumulated and concentrated mercury from ore.

Ken Marcy with the EPA says the mercury tailings contaminated water.

Ken Marcy: “Through the years, it produced a lot of waste in the form of tailings. So this is ore that’s been processed. And there’s about 300,000 cubic yards of tailings on the site. And a significant amount of these tailings is in one of the creeks that drains the site.”

That creek feeds into a fork of the Willamette River, and eventually winds up in fish that swim in the Cottage Grove reservoir.

Marcy says federal and state officials back the federal money and intervention that come with the Superfund designation because the Black Butte site is so big and complicated.

The mine was listed for “possible designation” as a priority site Wednesday. Final designation would come in March 2010.