Leadville Mine is located approximately 15km east of Dunedoo in the state's Central West NSW.
Silver ore was first discovered in Leadville in 1887 and the mine opened in 1888. A smelter was erected in 1892-1893 and treated 15,000 tonnes of ore, which yielded 29,203 oz of silver and 1,539 tonnes of lead.
Mining and mineral processing continued intermittently at Leadville until the mine’s closure in 1957.
The 50-hectare Crown parcel and mine site has remained largely unrehabilitated since operations ceased. Testing found elevated levels of lead across areas of the site, particularly in the northern area.
Ongoing issues include exposed unrehabilitated mine dumps with elevated heavy metals, including lead, arsenic and manganese which are the primary contaminants of concern.
Leadville (Mount Stewart) mine main engine shaft in 1892
Remediation project
Remediation work will help to improve safety and reduce impacts on the surrounding environment from past mining activity.
Key sources of contamination will be removed or minimised through drainage diversions while residual contamination will be fenced off to prevent future access.
The work will involve:
- excavating key areas of contaminated soil, which will be backfilled with onsite material
- fencing
- drainage improvements to control surface water and improve the longevity of the remediation work
- revegetation of final landforms, including residual contamination areas.
The project will be carried out considering the site’s heritage values guided by a construction environment management plan, which will include dust and water monitoring.
Onsite work is expected to take approximately 2 months, subject to weather and contractor availability.
The project is being delivered by the NSW Government as part of its Legacy Mines Program, which proactively reduces risks to the community through remediation of historic and abandoned mines to improve public safety and the environment.
NSW Government agencies working together on the project include Regional NSW, Crown Lands, NSW Primary Industries, NSW Health and the Environmental Protection Authority, as well as Warrumbungle Shire Council.
2024 drone photo of the Leadville site
Historical remediation works
Remediation efforts at Leadville commenced in 1995 and included shaft filling, drainage enhancements, consolidation, waste dump compaction, chemical treatment of acidic soil through lime dosing, revegetation and fencing.
Post works validation sampling of stock dams within the site in 1996, 2000 and 2015 indicated elevated levels of lead, arsenic, copper and zinc. This sampling resulted in additional works being carried out in 2016 involving backfilling and fencing of shafts and erosion and runoff controls.
Sampling carried out in 2019 has informed the requirement for further works at the Leadville site. A Remediation Action Plan (RAP) has been developed to address issues identified by sampling and geophysical investigations at Leadville. This RAP has been finalised and is available to download from this web page.
Remediation works consistent with the RAP are planned for 2024/2025.
Frequently asked questions
Is there any risk to the community from the work?
Remediation work will be carried out safely and with strict adherence to environmental management measures.
Work will be guided by a construction environment management plan with the objective to improve the environment and ensure public safety at the site and in the surrounding community.
Dust and water monitoring will be carried out throughout construction.
Will the project remove all the contamination?
The most significantly contaminated material will be addressed by the works, however residual contamination will remain. This will be fenced to prevent future access.
Will the site’s heritage features be preserved?
Leadville Mine is a Registered Historic Site and a place of Local Heritage Significance in the Warrumbungle Local Environment Plan, 2013.
Work will be carried out considering the heritage values of the site, guided by an unexpected finds protocol and overseen by an experienced and independent cultural heritage expert. Archival recording was completed in late 2022 to document heritage features and examples of the locality’s mining history will be retained where possible.
How will the work impact the local area?
Due to required truck movements along Sir Ivan Doherty Drive and Black Stump Way, local traffic will increase for short periods during the project (expected to last 2 months).
While the community may be inconvenienced in the short-term, addressing contamination at the mine site will improve community safety and environmental outcomes in the long term.