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Reclamation Feasibility Report - Virginia Canyon <br />• <br />• Most of the loading from this site is thought to occur from leaching of the mine waste in the northern <br />part of the waste rock pile. That portion of the waste rock is located north of the recently constructed <br />mill building. A portion of the mine waste blocks the flow from an ephemeral channel draining <br />Bellevue Mountain. Water has been observed to pond behind the mine waste during spring <br />snowmelt and following summer thunderstorms. In addition, the waste rock pile is located in the <br />thalweg of the old stream channel and forces the stream to flow onto the road during summer <br />thunderstorms. During the spring 2000 water quality sampling, the flow at station VC-4 quickly <br />infiltrated the mine waste/alluvium above the mine, then surfaced below the mill building. <br />The waste rock analysis shows that the material at this site is highly acid forming. The waste rock <br />from the top of the pile had the highest heavy metal content from the deionized water leach test and <br />the second highest heavy metal content from the total digestion. The highest concentration of <br />soluble arsenic, cadmium, copper and zinc was found at this site. The waste rock pile was observed <br />to be highly cemented with metal sulfates and secondary metal sulfides. There was a prevalent <br />layer of sulfate salts near the toe of the pile. Results from the 2:1 leachate analysis are given below: <br />C;in *4 r, h <br />pH <br />s.u Total Acidity <br />m l As <br />b Cd Cu <br />b ;Fe Mn <br />b Pb <br />b Zn <br />_ppb <br />2.56 5250 9200 3900 120000 790000 2300 130000 690000 <br />Site #156 <br />• <br /> Cd Cu Fe Mn Pb Zn <br />pH Total Acidity As <br />S.U. m /I b b b b b b b <br />2.55 1740 2900 600 21000 300000 74 19000 130000 <br />32