Argonaut Mine

⚠ Superfund · Listed on NPL

EPA is investigating the nature and extent of the contamination from past activities related to Argonaut Mine. EPA has been sampling groundwater, surface water and soil in the main tailings area between Argonaut Lane and Sutter Street and in the areas on both sides of Highway 49 near the Argonaut mine headframe.

Location

CityJackson
CountyAmador County
StateCalifornia
Coordinates38.35333, -120.78575

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 06/14/1999
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 04/07/2016
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 09/09/2016
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 11/04/2016
  5. Remedy Selected — Not Yet Achieved
  6. Remedial Action Started — Not Yet Achieved
  7. Construction Completed — Not Yet Achieved
  8. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  9. Most Recent Five-Year Review — Not Yet Achieved
  10. Achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Reuse — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

Understanding this Superfund site

Argonaut Mine is a federal Superfund site in California. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Listed on NPL. This site is on EPA's National Priorities List, which identifies the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country. Listing triggers federal cleanup authority and funding under CERCLA (the Superfund law).

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.