2009-09-25_PERMIT FILE - M2009076 ‎(42)‎

• Permit No: M2009076
• IBM Index Class Name: PERMIT FILE
• Doc Date: 9/25/2009
• Doc Name: EPA Superfund Record of Decision
• From: Venture Resources
• To: DRMS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

AS WITH OPERABLE UNIT NO. ONE, RESIDENTS EXPRESSED DOUBTS ABOUT THE NEED TO SOLVE A PROBLEM THEY
BELIEVE TO BE MINOR OR NONEXISTENT. MANY RESIDENTS EXPRESSED THE OPINION THAT EPA'S EFFORTS TO
SOLVE PROBLEMS AT THE FIVE MINES WOULD NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT OVERALL EFFECT ON CONTAMINATION IN
THE AREA OR IN THE CREEKS BECAUSE OF THE LARGE QUANTITY OF WASTE MATERIAL ELSEWHERE THAT WOULD
T BE ADDRESSED DURING THIS PORTION OF EPA'S WORK AT THE SITE. MANY COMMENTERS SAID THEY WOULD
EFER THAT EPA ALLOW PROPERTY OWNERS TO REPROCESS THE TAILINGS AS A MEANS OF CLEANING THEM UP.
RESIDENTS ALSO ARE CONCERNED THAT EPA'S LONG-TERM PRESENCE WILL DISCOURAGE FUTURE INVESTMENT IN
MINING IN THE AREA. THEY DISPUTE THE FINDINGS OF STUDIES DONE TO DATE INDICATING THAT THERE IS
AN IMMINENT DANGER OF COLLAPSE OF TAILINGS AND WASTE ROCK PILES AND THE FINDINGS THAT THERE MAY
BE POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS RELATED TO INHALATION OR INGESTION OF TAILINGS DUST.
SEVERAL TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES WITH HIGH VISIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED THUS FAR.
THEY ARE DESCRIBED BELOW.
- GREGORY TAILINGS: EPA CONDUCTED A REMOVAL ACTION AT THE GREGORY INCLINE AND TAILINGS
IN MARCH 1987 TO PREVENT THE POSSIBLE COLLAPSE OF THE TAILINGS PILE INTO NORTH CLEAR
CREEK. EPA WAS CONCERNED THAT COLLAPSE OF THE TAILINGS WOULD WASH A LARGE LOAD OF
METALS DOWNSTREAM INTO CLEAR CREEK AND CONTAMINATE THE GOLDEN MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY
THAT IS DRAWN FROM CLEAR CREEK.
EPA DECREASED THE SLOPE OF THE TAILINGS PILE TO STABILIZE IT AND BUILT A RETAINING
WALL. EPA ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO BUILD A CULVERT AT THE GREGORY TAILINGS THROUGH AN
EXPEDITED RESPONSE ACTION (ERA) IN THE FALL OF 1986. ENGINEERING REPORTS WERE
RELEASED IN APRIL AND JUNE 1986, FOLLOWED BY A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD JULY 7-28, 1986.
EPA WAS UNABLE TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION AT THAT TIME, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE SHORTAGE
OF FUNDS THAT PRECEDED REAUTHORIZATION OF THE SUPERFUND PROGRAM. THE TEMPORARY
RETAINING WALL WAS BUILT IN MARCH 1987 UNDER THE EPA EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM.
- RESIDENTIAL WELLS SURVEY: DURING THE RI, EPA FOUND THAT SHALLOW GROUND WATER, A
COMMON SOURCE OF WATER FOR SHALLOW DOMESTIC WELLS, IS CONTAMINATED IN PLACES WITH
METALS, INCLUDING LEAD, ARSENIC, CADMIUM, ZINC, COPPER, NICKEL, AND CHROMIUM. IN
MARCH AND APRIL 1987, EPA CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF AREA HOUSEHOLDS TO DISCOVER WHETHER
RESIDENTS WERE USING SHALLOW WELLS. THE SURVEY REVEALED THE EXISTENCE AND USE OF A
FEW SHALLOW WELLS, ONE OF WHICH WAS CONTAMINATED WITH ELEVATED LEVELS OF CADMIUM. EPA
INFORMED THE OWNER OF THAT WELL OF THE ELEVATED LEVELS OF CADMIUM, AND SPA'S EMERGENCY
RESPONSE BRANCH CONDUCTED A SUPERFUND REMOVAL ACTION TO PROVIDE THE WELL OWNER WITH
CLEAN WATER FROM THE IDAHO SPRINGS MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY.
- PASSIVE TREATMENT PILOT PROJECT: AS PART OF THE REMEDY FOR OPERABLE UNIT NO. ONE, A
PILOT PROJECT FOR PASSIVE TREATMENT OF MINE DISCHARGE IS NOW UNDERWAY AT THE BIG FIVE
TUNNEL PORTAL. EPA HAS BUILT A CONCRETE BOX AT THE MINE PORTAL TO TREAT SOME OF THE
MINE DISCHARGE. AN ARTIFICIAL WETLAND HAS BEEN CREATED IN THE BOX TO STUDY THE
EFFICIENCY OF THIS TECHNOLOGY IN REDUCING THE LEVELS OF METALS AND NEUTRALIZING THE
ACID DRAINAGE. EPA EXPECTS TO USE THE RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT TO REFINE ESTIMATES OF
LAND REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSIVE TREATMENT AND THE TYPES OF VEGETATION MOST SUITED TO
THIS TECHNOLOGY FOR OPERABLE UNIT NO. ONE.
II. THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM AT THE CLEAR CREEK/CENTRAL CITY SITE
EPA'S COMMUNITY RELATIONS ACTIVITIES AT THE CLEAR CREEK/CENTRAL CITY SITE BEGAN IN THE FALL OF
1982 AFTER THE SITE WAS LISTED ON EPA'S INTERIM NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) IN JULY 1982.
THE SITE WAS PLACED ON THE FINAL NPL IN SEPTEMBER 1983. COMMUNITY CONCERN ABOUT EPA'S
ACTIVITIES AT THE SITE HAS TENDED TO BE MODERATE, WITH OCCASIONAL PERIODS OF HIGH INTEREST
CAUSED BY RESIDENT'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE ACTION AT THE GREGORY TAILINGS, THE BIG FIVE PILOT
PROJECT, AND EPA'S PLANS FOR THE TAILINGS AND WASTE ROCK PILES. IN ADDITION, MANY RESIDENTS ARE
CONCERNED THAT TWO LOCAL PROPERTY OWNERS WILL BE EXPECTED TO PAY FOR CLEANUP COSTS. MANY
RESIDENTS DO NOT BELIEVE LOCAL PROPERTY OWNERS SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THESE COSTS BECAUSE THEY DID
0T CREATE THE PROBLEMS. THESE TWO LAND OWNERS PURCHASED THE PROPERTIES AFTER THE ORIGINAL
NING THAT CREATED THE PROBLEMS TOOK PLACE. BOTH OF THESE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE PRIVATE CITIZENS
WHO LIVE NEAR THE SITE AND HAVE MANY FRIENDS IN THE COMMUNITIES. IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY
COMMENTS ABOUT THE LOCAL PROPERTY OWNERS' POTENTIAL LIABILITIES FOR THEIR MINING PROPERTIES, EPA
REPRESENTATIVES HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS, RESIDENTS, AND THE PRESS TO
LISTEN TO CONCERNS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION. MUCH OF THE COMMUNITY CONCERN EXPRESSED AT THESE