Ore Hill Mine Project

This mine reclamation job took place in the fall of 2006 in a pristine area of northern New Hampshire. This mine was active in the late 1800's; where a mining community existed which is long gone. As a result of mining zinc and lead, residual metals were polluting nearby streams, affecting fish populations and the like.

During the reclamation project soils were excavated from the mine, tested and chemically treated in sections. Once tested "clean" the soils were moved to a nearby repository site, which in the end, encompassed several acres. The repository was subsequently shaped and covered with 4 inches of imported loam. The final step was seeding with a wildflower mixture; a late fall application, and applying Flexterra FGM at a rate of 3500 lbs. per acre with two Finn model T-330 Hydroseeders, which will protect the seeds and prevent erosion, until spring germination.

The process left the mine excavation area a gaping, uneven, unsightly 3+ acre site, subject to erosion and potential siltation of the nearby waterways the project was designed to protect. The entire area was also chemically treated and tested until proven "clean". Once a viable seed mix was chosen to vegetate the area, the question arose as to what erosion control product could be used to protect the site while the seeds lay dormant until springtime. Hay or straw mulch was out of the question, as much of the area was not readily available to equipment. Erosion blankets were not an option, as the area was far too rough with outcroppings of ledge throughout the site. Flexterra FGM was once again the only practical solution, to be applied at a rate of 4800 lbs. per acre. The two Finn T-330 Hydroseeders were equipped with 300' hoses, enabling Flexterra to be appied on virtually all the remote areas with little difficulty.

The repository site specifications originally required the use of specific erosion control blankets, which would have been very time consuming and extremely labor intensive to install given the geography of the site. In addition, blankets require stapling to the ground; not an option with even the slightest freezing and/or ledge. The use of Flexterra FGM and the two Finn Hydroseeders enabled this contractor to complete this part of the project in one day. As a side note, the day the work was completed, temperatures hovered around 40 degrees. That night snowfall had covered the site with 3 inches of snow! Thank-you Flexterra!!