SAM Magazine-Snowbird, Utah, Aug. 26, 2008-Following its cleanup efforts on the Pacific Mine, Snowbird is embarking on a second mine restoration project. With assistance from Trout Unlimited (TU), Snowbird is redirecting water from the Live Yankee Mine in Mary Ellen Gulch, adjacent to the resort's Mineral Basin terrain, away from its current path over contaminated mine waste. The redirection will ensure that the water quality in the stream will meet Clean Water standards. Snowbird's efforts are supported by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Forest Service. The project began Aug. 25 and should be completed by Aug. 29.

"The Live Yankee Mine project is a natural extension of Snowbird's desire to protect and improve our local environment," said Snowbird president Bob Bonar. "We are proud to have helped lead the way in demonstrating how the ski industry can tackle the challenges of abandoned mines."

"Trout Unlimited has been proud to ally with Snowbird on the precedent-setting cleanups of the Pacific and Live Yankee Mines," said TU's Ted Fitzgerald. "Both the local habitat in American Fork Canyon and large numbers of people who enjoy this recreational area will clearly benefit from this restoration project."

Currently, heavy metals leach from the Live Yankee Mine waste piles. The water from the mine contains 10 times the metal content acceptable by Clean Water standards and is killing almost all the water insects that are crucial to the survival of fish downstream.

Snowbird's initial partnership in 2006 with TU at the Pacific Mine resulted in a number of local and national honors, including the National Ski Areas Association Golden Eagle Award for Overall Environmental Excellence, as well as the EPA's Environmental Achievement Award. \

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