Wilderness Crossing is a 2,600-acre rezoning and development proposal in Orange County for the intersection of Rt. 3 and Rt. 20 adjacent to Wilderness Battlefield and across from Lake of the Woods. It would be the largest land rezoning in Orange County history and could raise taxes for county residents and cause unnecessary harm to natural and historic resources for years to come.
In addition to concerns about taxes, infrastructure (water and sewer), traffic, and habitat fragmentation, Wilderness Crossing is also the site of numerous unreclaimed gold mines—essentially, mines that have never been closed off and cleaned up of contaminants such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead. The largest mine on the property, called the Vaucluse mine, was at one time considered for potential inclusion as an EPA Superfund site. Since it was never cleaned up, the tailings pit is likely still leaching toxic chemicals into Shotgun Hill Branch today and is an expected source of contamination in Wilderness Run, and ultimately, the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers. PEC recommends that Orange County seriously consider how the toxic legacy of gold mining at this location could impact the health, safety and welfare of future residents and downstream communities.
PEC has been following the Wilderness Crossing proposal since the application was first submitted by developer KEG Associates III in March of 2021.
Keep reading…
Wilderness Crossing: Breadth of Rezoning and FOIA Results Prompt New Concerns
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Wilderness Crossing: An In-Depth Look
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Wilderness Crossing Town Hall Recap and Next Steps
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Resources from Wilderness Crossing Town Hall
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Wilderness Crossing Town Hall on Oct. 25
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Virginia’s Former Gold Mines with Priority Level for Reclamation – PEC WebMap
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Wilderness Crossing is Back
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A Potential Superfund Site?
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Wilderness Crossing developer proposes reckless path forward
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Shocking news about historic gold mining contamination
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