As members of the Kings Mountain community, we want to share more about the actions we’ve taken regarding the odor near the mine pit, and our collaboration with local officials to ensure everyone remains well informed. As most everyone knows by now, the odor is a result of a naturally occurring event that we expect to be intermittent in nature and temporary to our mine pit dewatering operations. While unpleasant and bothersome, the extensive and ongoing air monitoring underway demonstrates present levels are more than 10 times lower than regulatory health and safety guidelines. Furthermore, we are actively working on measures intended to minimize the odor.
For background, in early December, after a period of cold weather and wind, the water in the mine pit at the Kings Mountain Mine site experienced a natural event commonly referred to as “turning over,” which can happen in lakes and ponds in our region and throughout the world.
Seasonal variations in temperature can cause changes in the surface of the mine pit water’s density that can displace the deeper parts of the water in the mine pit. Those deeper waters accumulate organic material, and the natural decomposition of this organic material can ultimately result in the creation of hydrogen sulfide. As the deeper water is raised to the surface, this can result in an intermittent noticeable odor. Some might recall the Kings Mountain Mine pit experienced a similar natural occurrence in 2018 after several days of cold weather.
While this is a natural occurrence, Albemarle, along with state and local public officials, have responded out of an abundance of caution to ensure a common understanding of the occurrence and to minimize public concern.
- Once the odor was detected, the City of Kings Mountain police and fire departments visited the site and concluded that there were no safety risks.
- We have installed several additional monitoring systems around the mine pit perimeter to help gather ongoing data. All readings of hydrogen sulfide have been less than 1 part-per-million which is far below established health and safety guidelines set by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
- We have mobilized additional monitoring systems to positions near the mine pit and in locations within the community proximate to the Kings Mountain site. Any significant change in findings will be shared with public officials.
We are proud to be a part of this great community, and there is nothing more important than ensuring our friends, family and neighbors in Kings Mountain remain healthy and safe. Should you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to our Community Relations staff by phone (704-734-2775) or email ([email protected])