Background

The Copper Basin Mining District site includes parts of the North Potato Creek and Davis Mill Creek watersheds and a 26-mile-long reach of the Ocoee River affected by mining activities.  From the late 1800s until the 1980s, mining, processing, chemical manufacturing and waste disposal occurred at the site. The Ocoee River received wastes and erosion from the watershed areas. Mining and processing operations resulted in the erosion and transportation of tens of millions of cubic yards of soil and wastes to the Ocoee River. Mining operations ended in 1987 and chemical production ended in 2000.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did ...
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