Kennecott slide: 165 million tons of earth buries trucks and fuel

In addition to forcing layoffs and reducing production by 50 percent, the massive slide at Kennecott Utah Copper's Bingham Canyon Mine poses an environmental headache for Rio Tinto with everything it buried.

The 165 million tons of earthen material slipped April 10, covering 13 haul trucks and large containers holding 83,000 gallons of diesel fuel. It also buried 13,000 gallons of various types of oil, 5,000 gallons of coolant and grease, and a steel container full of thousands of pounds of explosives.

Kerry Payne, Kennecott Utah Copper's environmental manager, said the company is developing a recovery plan for the material once federal mine regulators give them the green light for access.

In the interim, Payne stressed that Kennecott officials do not believe the material presents a hazard to public health or the environment because it is confined to the bottom of the mine. State environment regulators have been briefed and will be involved in the oversight of the cleanup, he added.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865579455/Massive-Kennecott-slide-leaves-environmental-cleanup-in-its-wake.html