The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has ordered that 29,000 acres
in the Clear Creek Management Area be closed to new mining claims
as a way to reduce airborne asbestos emissions, according to the
agency.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has ordered that 29,000 acres in the Clear Creek Management Area be closed to new mining claims as a way to reduce airborne asbestos emissions, according to the agency.
The temporary action closes the area for up to two years, while the secretary of the interior is proposing to withdraw the lands from mining for 20 years, according to a statement. In the meantime, the BLM plans to conduct various studies and do analysis to support a final decision on the withdrawal application, according to the agency.
Comments for a public meeting in connection with the closure are being accepted for 90 days.
The BLM manages a total of 63,000 acres in the Clear Creek area. In May 2008, the BLM temporarily closed off the Clear Creek property to the public due to a federal study contending there are dangerous levels of asbestos in the area. A decision is pending on whether to permanently close Clear Creek to most activities there.
Residents can send comments about the mining issue to the Field Manager, Hollister Field Office, BLM, 20 Hamilton Court in Hollister, 95023.
