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

MEETINGS HAS FOCUSED ON RESIDENTS' BELIEFS THAT MINE WASTES DO NOT PRESENT A PROBLEM WORTHY OF
THE HIGH LEVEL OF ATTENTION GIVEN TO THIS SITE. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A GENERAL ANTAGONISM
TOWARD OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES BECAUSE OF MINING REGULATIONS THAT AREA RESIDENTS BELIEVE HAVE
RESTRICTED MINING ACTIVITY IN THE AREA.
0 SEVERAL OCCASIONS, NEW INFORMATION ABOUT ONGOING WORK AT THE SITE HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF
EXTENSIVE NEWS AND EDITORIAL COVERAGE IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, IN PARTICULAR DURING EPA'S REMOVAL
ACTION AT THE GREGORY TAILINGS IN THE SPRING OF 1987. RESIDENTS EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE
COST AND NECESSITY OF CONDUCTING THE WORK, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE
PROPERTY OWNER, A LOCAL RESIDENT, MIGHT HAVE TO REPAY THE GOVERNMENT LATER FOR THE COSTS. THE
PILOT PASSIVE TREATMENT PROJECT AT THE BIG FIVE TUNNEL PORTAL HAS BEEN CLOSELY FOLLOWED IN THE
LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AS WELL. LOCAL INTEREST AMONG RESIDENTS AND IN AREA NEWSPAPERS INCREASED AGAIN
DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THE OPERABLE UNIT NO. TWO FS REPORT ON TAILINGS AND WASTE
ROCK PILES. IN GENERAL, CITIZENS HAVE QUESTIONED THE NEED FOR REMEDIAL WORK ON THE TAILINGS AND
WASTE ROCK PILES, WHICH HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR MANY YEARS. AREA RESIDENTS AND LOCAL NEWSPAPERS
HAVE EXPRESSED RELATIVELY LESS INTEREST IN THE OVERALL MINE DRAINAGE PROBLEM THAN IN THE GREGORY
TAILINGS OR THE BIG FIVE TUNNEL PROJECTS.
IN PREPARING THE REVISED COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN (CRP) COMPLETED IN JANUARY 1986, EPA CONDUCTED
DISCUSSIONS WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN SEPTEMBER 1985. THE ORIGINAL CRP WAS
PREPARED IN THE FALL OF 1982. TO FACILITATE THE FLOW OF INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITIES,
INFORMATION REPOSITORIES WERE ESTABLISHED AT THE GILPIN COUNTY COURT HOUSE IN CENTRAL CITY, THE
IDAHO SPRINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY IN IDAHO SPRINGS, AND THE EPA LIBRARY IN DENVER IN THE FALL OF
1985. IN DECEMBER 1985, EPA PREPARED AND DISTRIBUTED TO RESIDENTS AN INITIAL FACT SHEET
DESCRIBING THE SITE AND THE POTENTIAL CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN.
EPA PREPARED AND DISTRIBUTED A SECOND FACT SHEET IN JULY 1986 REGARDING THE EMERGENCY REMOVAL
ACTION (ERA) PLANNED AT THE GREGORY TAILINGS FOR THE FALL OF 1986. THE AGENCY HELD A PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD ON THE PROPOSED ACTION AND HELD A PUBLIC MEETING WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS. AS
DESCRIBED IN THE RESPONSIVENESS SUMMARY PREPARED FOR OPERABLE UNIT NO. ONE, THE ERA WAS LATER
NDUCTED AS A SUPERFUND REMOVAL ACTION IN THE SPRING OF 1987. PUBLIC CONCERN AT THAT TIME WAS
CUSED ON THE COST OF THE REMOVAL ACTION, THE POTENTIAL LIABILITY OF THE PROPERTY OWNER (WHO IS
A LIFE-LONG RESIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY), THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF AN HISTORIC SITE, AND THE
POTENTIAL FOR EPA TO CONDUCT OTHER SIMILAR ACTIONS IN THE AREA. DURING THIS PERIOD, EPA ALSO
EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF INFORMATION REPOSITORIES TO INCLUDE THE GOLDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY IN GOLDEN
AND THE IDAHO SPRINGS CITY HALL IN IDAHO SPRINGS, TO MAKE SITE-RELATED DOCUMENTS MORE ACCESSIBLE
TO THE COMMUNITY.
IN AUGUST 1987, EPA PLACED THE ENTIRE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD FOR THE SITE IN THE GILPIN COUNTY
COURT HOUSE AND THE EPA LIBRARY. AN INDEX TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD WAS PLACED IN ALL FIVE
INFORMATION REPOSITORIES. IN ADDITION, EPA FURTHER REVISED THE CRP AND SIGNED A MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING WITH THE COLORADO STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY CONCERNING THE GREGORY TAILINGS REMOVAL
ACTION TO ASSURE THAT THE ACTION THAT EPA UNDERTOOK AT THE SITE WAS CARRIED OUT IN ACCORDANCE
WITH STATE GUIDELINES FOR PRESERVING HISTORIC SITES.
THE COLORADO HISTORICAL SOCIETY HAS DETERMINED THAT THE BIG FIVE TUNNEL PORTAL IS ELIGIBLE TO
BECOME A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK. FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES THAT ANY FEDERAL AGENCY PROPOSING TO
UNDERTAKE WORK AT A LOCATION ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DEMONSTRATE IT
HAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONSIDERATIONS. THUS, EPA SUBMITTED TO THE STATE
ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION DRAWINGS OF THE PASSIVE TREATMENT SYSTEM AT THE BIG
FIVE TUNNEL PORTAL. UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL, EPA CHANGED THE LOCATION AND
MATERIALS OF THE FENCE TO BE BUILT AROUND THE PASSIVE TREATMENT PLANT. THESE CHANGES WERE
DEEMED IMPORTANT IN PRESERVING HISTORIC ASPECTS OF THE TUNNEL.
DURING THE SURVEY OF SHALLOW DOMESTIC WELLS IN THE SPRING OF 1987, EPA PREPARED A LETTER TO
RESIDENTS AND A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER FACT SHEET -- BOTH DESIGNED TO PROVIDE RESIDENTS WITH
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SURVEY AND ITS PURPOSE -- TO BE HANDED OUT BY THE INDIVIDUALS TAKING THE
0RVEY. EPA REPRESENTATIVES ALSO MET WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS AND AREA RESIDENTS TO DISCUSS THE
RVEY.
AFTER RELEASE IN JUNE 1987 OF THE FS REPORT ON OPERABLE UNIT NO. ONE, EPA PUBLISHED A
QUESTION-AND-ANSWER FACT SHEET AND HELD TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD FROM JUNE 8 THROUGH JULY 7, 1987. AT THE FIRST MEETING IN CENTRAL CITY ON JUNE