Midnite Mine

The Midnite Mine is a uranium mine located on the Spokane Tribe of Indians Reservation and is 25 miles from Dawn's uranium millsite at Ford, Washington. Dawn Mining Company (DMC) began mining uranium ore at the Midnite Mine in the 1950's. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was the lead agency responsible for the reclamation (restoration of the site) of the mine until 1998 whe EPA took over the mine reclamation as a Superfund Site. In 1992, the Department of Health issued a radioactive materials license to DMC for the production of radioactive sludge that was the result from the treatment of contaminated water at the water treatment plant at the mine. However, as of January 1, 2009 the license for Midnite Mine issued by the Washington State Department of Health was terminated and transferred to the Environmental Protection Agency.