Brent Purcell
The old Victoria Battery site where auriferous quartz was crushed.
The government is funding nearly $240,000 to help assess environmental pollution at two former Coromandel gold mines.
It will aid detailed site surveys to determine levels of arsenic and cyanide left over from historic gold mining at the former Tokatea and Victoria Battery Mines.
Both mines are now located in a public nature reserve.
The projects will be led by the Department of Conservation (DOC) in a joint partnership with the Waikato Regional Council, said Environment Minister David Parker.
The money comes from the Ministry of the Environment (MfE) Remediation Fund Contaminated Terrain.
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The Victoria Battery site, in the Karangahake Gorge, will get $192,254, equivalent to DOC’s funding input, while the Tokatea site will get $42,900. MfE also contributes to personnel costs.
Mining during the Victoria Battery era involved processing metals and using chemicals with the potential to leave historical contamination, said Tauranga Operations Manager at Jeff Millham DOC.
The site contains potential contamination with mercury, hydrocarbons and heavy metals. These contaminants pose a problem when they occur at levels that can harm human health or the environment.
Currently, the risk to the public from the site is considered low if there is no soil disturbance.
“The Victoria Battery project aims to determine the level and magnitude of risk to the population and the environment. DOC works together with iwi and [the regional council] to lead and deliver the project,” said Millham.
“DOC will need to apply for new funding once the detailed site survey is complete and we understand what the contamination is at the site.”
The study of future management options for the site is scheduled to begin shortly and will take approximately 10 months to complete.
“This work will provide information to assess management and remediation options and feed into final remediation if necessary.
“This process will take a few years due to the complexity of the work and the resources required,” Millham said.
Meanwhile, the Tokatea site is also a historic disused mining site and potential contamination is similar to the Victoria Battery.
The approach and work required by DOC is also similar, but to a lesser extent, said Nick Kelly, DOC’s Coromandel operations manager (Tokatea).