December 20, 2021 3:30 a.m.

Congressman Peter DeFazio has announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding Infrastructure Law funding to clean up several ecologically-damaged sites in the Pacific Northwest including the abandoned Formosa mine near Riddle.

DeFazio said the location is among 49 sites across the nation that will benefit from a $1 billion investment from the legislation to initiate cleanup and clear the backlog of previously unfunded Superfund sites, and accelerate cleanup at other sites across the country.

DeFazio said, “The bipartisan infrastructure law is already delivering in big ways, with dozens of long-overdue cleanup projects receiving funding, including the long-abandoned Formosa Mine”.

He said, “For decades, the abandoned mine has discharged millions of gallons of poisonous toxic heavy metals annually, which contaminate surface water, groundwater, soils and sediment with heavy metals”. DeFazio said the leaching toxins kill everything in its path, destroying critical fish habitat, and poisoning groundwater and drinking water, threatening the health and safety of local communities near the South Fork of Middle Creek”. He said the funding will go a long way to repair the environmental damage, “…from which the communities have suffered for far too long”.

DeFazio said its past time to focus resources and undo the damage that has caused, “…the most environmental degradation by mining in Oregon’s history”.

The 76-acre Formosa Mine is located on Silver Butte in Douglas County.