The U.S. Borax Mine, located in the Upper Mojave Desert in Kern County, California, between the towns of Mojave and Barstow, is the largest mine in the State of California and the highest grade boron reserve in the world. The mine and related processing facilities have been in continuous operation since 1913 and current reserve projections have established an additional fifty years of economic resource at current production rates. The complexity of the site is a result of the geology and mineralogy, the long history of operation, diversity of mining and processing technology, and changing regulatory and operating environment. To ensure that profitable production can continue at Boron through the remaining reserve life requires careful analysis of current environmental issues and permit compliance related to mine and plant operations. An integrated system of mapping and data collection has been developed and managed through GIS. One key component of this system is real-time field data capture that provides for site survey, site mapping, and GIS data collection to be accomplished on a single pen computer field software platform. The system is being applied to current operations, operations planning and permitting, and future reclamation planning.
The system being developed for the U.S. Borax facility is also being applied for real-time data collection in conjunction with other industrial environmental management. This includes site characterization, monitoring, and remedial construction management. Petroleum industry applications include petroleum releases and oceans and intercoastal waterways, vapor gas surveys, exploration mapping and ground truthing, field mapping, and surveying.
Barry Hillman
Condor Earth Technologies, Inc.
P.O. Box 3905
Sonora, CA 95370
Telephone: 209-532-0361
Fax: 209-532-0773
Email: condorerth@aol.com