BROOMFIELD, COLO. January 6, 2009 – MWH, a global provider of environmental engineering, construction and strategic consulting services, and El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP) have been credited for environmental excellence in reclamation work on the Comstock Mill Site project in Storey County, Nev. El Paso retained MWH to provide engineering and planning services for the reclamation project.
El Paso and MWH representatives accepted the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 2008 Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award this past fall. The BLM award was presented to El Paso at the 2008 MINExpo in Las Vegas, Nev. The Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award is one of four awards under the BLM Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards Program, recognizing efforts relative to implementing the principles of sustainable development, a concept adopted by the United States and 192 other countries to balance environmental, economic and social considerations in planning for mining operations.
Acknowledging effective environmental stewardship, award recipients are recognized for having exceptional track records of meeting or exceeding Federal, State or local reclamation requirements.
“The collective work of El Paso and MWH allowed us to achieve exceptional results for this project and gain this highly-regarded award from BLM,” said Scott Pope, Principal Scientist, El Paso Corporation.
El Paso hired MWH in 2000 to assist with bringing the site’s reclamation project from a federal CERCLA-driven process to one covered by the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection’s (NDEP) mine closure guidelines.
“MWH has expertise in sustainable mining and experience in responsible mine closure and reclamation. Our close partnership with El Paso gave both companies the ability to achieve successful outcomes,” said Dr. David Ellerbroek, Vice President of MWH. “We’re proud to share this prestigious honor from BLM with El Paso Corporation.”
BLM deemed the site reclamation a high priority due, in part, to its location near Virginia City, Nev., not far from state lands dedicated to recreation and historic preservation. MWH developed a two-stage reclamation process including mill demolition and tailings impoundment reclamation.
The reclamation will help ensure protection of public safety and health by safeguarding local environmental resources and provides a final landform for the Comstock Mill Site compatible with natural surroundings that promote revegetation. MWH provided technical support services throughout each stage of the process, including groundwater characterization, tailings geochemistry and geotechnical engineering.
About El Paso Corporation
El Paso provides natural gas and related energy products in a safe, efficient, and dependable manner. El Paso owns North America's largest interstate natural gas pipeline system and one of North America's largest independent natural gas producers. For more information, visit http://www.elpaso.com.
