Sep 29 2014
New Jersey Mining Company announced today that it has been recognized as a "Pollution Prevention Champion" by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for its successful efforts to reduce pollution at its New Jersey Mill in Kellogg. The Idaho DEQ made the announcement in a press release last week.
The DEQ defines pollution prevention as "…any technique used to reduce or eliminate pollution generated. In contrast to most pollution control strategies that manage a pollutant's effect on the environment after it has been generated, pollution prevention seeks to eliminate or minimize the amount of toxicity of wastes and pollutants before they are generated."
DEQ pollution prevention projects coordinator Ben Jarvis commented, "The New Jersey Mining Company has optimized its ore processing operation through the utilization of paste tailings, which has allowed the company to significantly curtail water use in an area where water is especially precious." By implementing paste tailings processing methods, NJMC is able to recycle all of its process water and prevent the discharge of process water to surface waters. At full capacity, this method saves more than 50 million gallons of water per year.
NJMC CEO and Chairman Del Steiner added, "The paste tailings processing methods were developed and implemented by Company founders Fred and Grant Brackebusch. This award highlights the technical capability of our team and our commitment to corporate citizenship."