Eramet Fluid Waste Pond 1a

About Eramet Fluid Waste Pond 1a

The primary purpose of Eramet Fluid Waste Pond 1a is tailings. Tailings dams contain waste material from mining operations — typically a slurry of finely ground rock left over after valuable minerals have been extracted. These structures require ongoing monitoring because tailings can contain heavy metals and other contaminants. The dam is owned by Eramet Marietta, Inc.. It impounds the Ohio River - Offstream near Briscoe.

The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 2,700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 9 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 320 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1975, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 11/01/2023.

At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 82% of dams nationwide.

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