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Tourists and <br />residents alike - as <br />many as 10,000 <br />vehicles per day <br />during the summer <br />-travel past the <br />mine. With the <br />application in 2001 <br />and growth from <br />the previous three <br />years, major <br />improvements can <br />be noticed. <br />less than 100 acres of the <br />4,000 acres of disturbed land <br />have been reclaimed ro date, <br />providing a very long term <br />outlook for biosolids and <br />wood chip use (above). Aroll- <br />off shed (right) houses the <br />blowers for fhe composting <br />operation, and is used to <br />shelter operarors who get <br />stranded at the site during <br />winter storms. <br />$50,000 annually in energy costs from not <br />having to operate an anaerobic digester. The <br />Frisco Sanitation District has delayed build- <br />ing a $3.5 million digester complex at a con- <br />gestedtreatment site that is near the Frisco <br />Marina on Dillon Lake. Other cost saving <br />are realized through avoidance of odor con- <br />trol at the treatment plant, equipment <br />maintenance and personnel. <br />TAILINGS REVEGETATION <br />As a result of over ten years of operation <br />in some form, three basic programs are con- <br />ducted on the Climax Mine: Direct applica- <br />tion of Class B biosolids to areas distant <br />from human traffic and water courses; Ap- <br />plication of a 1:1 mixture of Class B <br />biosolids and wood waste to tailings areas <br />to be revegetated; and Production of Class <br />A compost for application to dam faces, near <br />water courses and areas more accessible to <br />the public. <br />About-1,000 dry tons annually of biosolids <br />are transported to the mine and used in one <br />of the three outlined methods. The split of <br />biosolids is about even between the three op- <br />tions with more material used in the 1:1 <br />blending process during the winter months <br />in order to stage the material until the sum- <br />mer months. Due to the snow levels, direct <br />application is not practiced during the win- <br />ter months. <br />The Snake River Wastewater Treatment <br />facility directly land applies its Class B <br />biosolids. The Breckenridge and Frisco <br />Sanitation Districts have their biosolids <br />mixed evenly with the wood chips to be ap- <br />plied by the mine, and the Copper Moun- <br />tain Metro District and Silverthorne/Dillon <br />Joint Sewer Authority have their biosolids <br />composted. <br />The tailings sites to be reclaimed, usually <br />for range or wildlife habitat, are covered <br />with overburden from the mining op 1 ed <br />lions. Next, alkaline amendment is app ' <br />to adjust the surface pH, and biosolids and <br />wood chips are put on at a rate of 30 dry <br />tons/acre. Finally, the surface is broadcast <br />seeded with a mixture of high altitude vari- <br />eties of seeds, ensuring that adequate cov- <br />erage is obtained. <br />WOOD RECOVERY AND PROCESSING <br />In 1997, Westvac Environmental Ser- <br />vices began hauling wood chips to the Cli- <br />max Mine for incorporation with the <br />biosolids. The wood chips were obtained <br />from ground wood residuals at the Hender- <br />son Mine as well as from Stan Miller, Inc., <br />a local construction and aggregate compa- <br />ny. Because of its land clearing operations, <br />Stan Miller had set up a wood diversion op- <br />eration at its yard, but had never been able <br />to dispose of the resulting wood chips. Un- <br />ti11997, the best option was to use the wood <br />chips to construct landscaping berms <br />around the yard. Around 1999, as the Cli- <br />maxproject provided a proven outlet for the <br />ground wood material, Summit County <br />stopped issuing open burning permits for <br />larger land clearing projects. <br />By 2000, another land clearing operator, <br />Alpine Specialty Services, bought and put <br />into service a Bandit Beast Model 3680 and <br />began mobile grinding operations at larger <br />clearing operations in the county. Westvac <br />purchased a 100 cubic yard IMCO walking <br />floor trailer in 1999 and hauled approxi- <br />mately 12,000 cubic yards of ground wood to <br />Climax for eventual composting with <br />biosolids. The wood chips also are used to <br />stage incoming biosolids during the frigid <br />winter months. <br />The Silverthorne/Dillon facility initiated <br />a pilot program to accept wood residuals in <br />1997. An associated public education effort <br />by the staff assured the delivery of clean, ac- <br />ceptable wood that could be chipped on site <br />for transport to the mine. In addition to <br />wood from construction projects, the facility <br />ground almost 4,000 cubic yards of Christ- <br />mas trees and brush cleared from construc- <br />tion sites in 2000. <br />In 2001, almost 50,000 cubic yards of <br />wood chips have been delivered to Climax <br />for use in the revegetation process. <br />-:',j The bulk have come from a large <br />~:-<-~.j clearing operation for the Peak Sev- <br />,M.:., ~ en Ski Runs expansion at the Breck- <br />enridge Ski Area conducted by <br />Alpine Specialty Services and the di- <br />verted wood residuals from Stan <br />Miller, Inc. The wood chips are typi- <br />cally ground to six-inch minus. This <br />size provides an adequate amount of <br />fines for the composting operation <br />while the large chips helps maintain <br />the pile porosity and structure. <br />NOVEMBER 2001 <br />66 BIOCYCLE <br />