The Atlas Asbestos Mine operated from 1963 to 1980 on a 16-acre site about 19 miles northwest of Coalinga, Fresno County, California. The abandoned site consists of the asbestos mine, a processing mill, support buildings, and extensive asbestos tailings. Drainage from the site is directly downslope into White Creek, then into the Los Gatos Creek. Los Gatos Creek is a tributary to the Arroyo Pasajero, a flood area along the California Aqueduct. During the rainy season, the California State Department of Water Resources drains the Arroyo into the aqueduct. Analysis of water in the aqueduct, conducted by the Southern California Metropolitan Water District and the Department of Water Resources, indicates high concentrations of asbestos fibers.