The plant will generate electricity for an onsite water treatment facility used for longterm treatment of miningimpacted water of the alamosa river network. Summitville was the largest and richest camp in its district. If prospectors did find more gold, they never reported it. The company opened a pit heap leach gold mining operation, using cyanide to extract the gold. One of colorados worst superfund sites has been cleaned. One of colorados worst superfund sites has been cleaned up tuesday, july 10, 2018.
The summitville mine superfund site is located in the southeastern portion of the san juan mountains, in rio grande county, approximately 60 miles west of alamosa, colorado and 10 to 15 miles south of del norte, colorado. Nov 25, 2003 summitville mine superfund site project manager, cdphehmwmd. The remote site is situated at an elevation of 11,500 feet. Feb, 2017 high in the colorado san juan mountains, the summitville mine was operated by canadian mining company galactic resources as a cyanide heap leach mine from 1986 until abandoned in 1992. Mine cleanup program california state water resources. Remediation system evaluation, summitville mine superfund. A range of traditional and innovative technologies may be appropriate for remediation at current and former mining sites. Pb95964411 eparodr0895098 january 1995 epa superfund record of decision. Evaluating remedial alternatives for the alamosa river and. Us clears way for cleanup of colorado mine after huge spill. This prezi is packed full of info about summitville, what happened there in the 80s and where it is now. Sediments eroded from mine site toxic contactwater including acid mine drainage eroded mine site soils contaminated by processing of ore eroded waste rock.
General electric conducted the cleanup along 200 miles of the river, which is classified by epa as a superfund site one of the largest in the country. Gold was discovered here in 1870 and soon after came 14 saloons, a newspaper summitville nugget, and nine mills to serve the population of 600. Yr weather statistics for summitville mine, colorado. The summitville mine cyanide spill by crosby wood on prezi. Mine waste technology program remediation technology evaluation at the gilt edge mine, south dakota.
In the 1980s, openpit mining began using a new cyanideleaching technique to dissolve gold from lowergrade ores. Inac is focused on accelerating the remediation of contaminated sites in the north to protect the health and safety of aboriginal people, northerners, and the integrity of the environment. Chapter 4 of the report focuses on cleanup options for various media that may be found at an abandoned uranium mine. Nevertheless, the summitville gold boulder will always be a reminder of the bonanza of the 19th century and that the old timers didnt find it all. Bringing geoscience to bear on the problem of abandoned.
Remediation system evaluation, summitville mine superfund site. New rifle uranium mill tailings radiation control act title i site. Find the most current and reliable 7 day weather forecasts, storm alerts, reports and information for city with the weather network. One of colorados worst superfund sites has been cleaned up. Aug 19, 2016 high in the colorado san juan mountains, the summitville mine was operated by canadian mining company galactic resources as a cyanide heap leach mine from 1986 until abandoned in 1992. The wtp treats acid mine drainage from an abandoned mine site at seasonal flow rates up to 1,000 gallons per minute. Abandoned mine site characterization and cleanup handbook. While were the lead agency for remediation of the site, the u.
A cleanup action plan cap is a document that describes the cleanup alternatives to be used at the site. Pb95964409 eparodr0895096 january 1995 epa superfund record of decision. The summitville mine superfund site is located in the southeastern portion of the san juan mountains, in rio grande county, approximately 60 miles west of. Rio grande county, co mines, mine companies, mine owners and mine information. Summitville mine disaster the summitville gold mine, located at 3800 meters 12,800 ft elevation in the san juan mountains of southwestern colorado, was the focus of extensive public attention in 1992 and 1993 for environmental problems stemming from recent openpit mining activities. Summitville mining district summit mining district, rio. The summitville mine was a gold mining site in rio grande county, colorado 25 miles 40 km south of del norte. Summitville mine superfund site colorado riparian association. The abandoned mine site characterization and cleanup handbook handbook is the result of the collective efforts and contributions of a number of individuals. The design included a bulkhead extension, bulkhead rock mass and contact grouting, pipe for mine pool control, cellular concrete pipe protection, adit drainage, ground support rehabilitation, valve layout, and a new portal structure. The summitville mine was a gold mining site in the united states, located. Summitville mine superfund site summitville coyote gulch.
Pagel referred to a 2006 abandoned mine cleanup bill brought by thensen. His bill included waivers not just to the clean water act, but also to the toxic substances control act and solid waste disposal act. High in the colorado san juan mountains, the summitville mine was operated by canadian mining company galactic resources as a cyanide heap leach mine from 1986 until abandoned in 1992. Auriferous volcanic breccia from the little annie mine, summitville. The site addresses impacts due to acid mine drainage that results from mining activities conducted onsite between 1870 and 1992 by a number of parties. Summitville mine and its downstream effects toxics. How golder used machine learning to help a gold mine. Rio grande county, co mining, mines, mine owners and mine. Usmining provides information on mines, operators, and minerals mined in rio grande county, co.
Final audit report on the award and administration of. Summerville, sc calcium sulfide and calcium polysulfide technologies earth techwestinghouse savannah river co. By 1883 the town was deserted and was almost destroyed by a forest fire. The summitville 141 pound gold boulder pagosa springs. It is remembered for the environmental damage caused in the 1980s by the leakage of mining byproducts into local waterways and then the alamosa river. The summitville gold boulder is colorados most remarkable chance discovery of gold in recent times. Farmers have reported water quality problems on land irrigated by the alamosa river. Summitville mine superfund site project manager, cdphehmwmd. The cleanup might also improve the towns finances, which have been in decline since a mine and mill closed in 1991, esper said. The latest mining operator, summitville consolidated mining corporation inc. The consent decree is a legal document, approved and entered by a court, formalizing an agreement ecology and potentially liable persons plps.
Epas office of research and developments engineering technical support center etsc provides assistance to epa regional offices, states, and communities on the design, function, and application of these technologies. In the san luis valley, cyanide and heavy metals from the summitville mine disaster have killed fish and other aquatic life 17 miles downstream. According to news releases, the agency has excavated four holding ponds below the mine breach. P era table 1 continued completed site demonstration program projects as of september 2002 developer technology dynaphore, inc. Landsburg mine site cleanup update jerome cruz site manager department of ecology, northwest regional office 3190 160th ave. The summitville district is localized in a volcanic dome at the margin of the nested summitville and platoro calderas. Colorados worst superfund site summitville mine has been. Summitville mining district summit mining district, rio grande co. Introduction the summitville gold mine, located at 3800 meters 11,500 ft elevation in the san juan mountains of southwestern colorado, was the focus of extensive public attention in 1992 and 1993 for environmental problems stemming from recent openpit mining activities. The study evaluated the effectiveness of the interim measures that have been completed or remain ongoing at the site, and determined what final construction projects or longterm measures must be added to finish the summitville cleanup in the future. Fractures in the adjacent rock make the investigation and remediation a challenge.
The summitville mine site served as a location for gold mining beginning in the late 1800s and by the mid1980s the site was used for openpit gold, copper and silver mining. As a subset of artificial intelligence ai, the capabilities of machine learning ml have improved significantly, allowing companies to optimize and improve a wide range of business operations. The summitville 141 pound gold boulder pagosa springs journal. Mining companies are no exception and are taking advantage of ml to improve their operations and production from predictive maintenance to achieving interoperability within different. The epas emergency cleanup is a quick version of typical mine treatment. Final audit report on the award and administration of contract no.
The summitville mine is an abandoned gold mine located about 25 miles southwest of del norte, colorado. By 1984, the summitville consolidated mining corporation inc. The site is defined as the permitted 1,231acre mine site and is located adjacent to. Summitville district the summitville district is a gold, silver, lead, and copper mine located in rio grande county, colorado.
The epa emergency response branch assumed responsibility of the. The site is defined as the permitted 1,231acre mine site and is located adjacent to the former town of summitville at an elevation of approximately 11,200 feet. Summitville mine superfund site, austin buckingham, green line, mineralized areas, water quality, waste rock, contaminants, protection. Environmental protection agency region 8 summitville mine site summary, colorado department of public health and environment reactivetransport modeling, summitville mine, co. Once there is mining in an area, it has longterm impact, said fran costanzi, an epa official who managed the summitville cleanup for four years. At the summitville mine, highly contaminated water runs through an abandoned mine shaft. Plumlee cites the example of colorados summitville mine, a hardrock gold mine about 100 kilometers southeast of silverton, where mining had occurred on and off since the late 1800s. The bibliogov project is an effort to expand awareness of the public. Detail of a 114pound boulder which has an estimated 316 troy ounces of native gold. Named a superfund site in 1994, the summitville mine killed off 17 miles of the alamosa river, requiring permanent water treatment at the rivers headwaters. Jul 10, 2018 one of colorados worst superfund sites has been cleaned up tuesday, july 10, 2018. The wtp treats acid mine drainage from an abandoned mine site at. Golconda tunnel, summitville mining district summit mining district, rio grande co. In 1992, for example, cyanide leach pads at the summitville mine in colorado spilled into the alamosa river, requiring an epa superfund.
Epa tells colorado to take over the summitville mine cleanup. New rules to hold mining industry accountable for cleanups. Summitville mine disaster colorado community rights. Summitville catalyzed national debates about the environmental effects of modern mining, and became the focus of arguments for proposed revisions. It is located within the san juan mountain range of the rocky mountains, in. The 1,231acre summitville mine superfund site is located in the san juan mountains of southwestern colorado, approximately 25 miles from south fork. Buckingham colorado department of public health and.
The study culminated with a sitewide record of decision rod issued in fall 2001. S environmental protection agency epa superfund program provides technical support and input. Toxics cleanup program fall 2008 landsburg mine cleanup. The treatment plant is operated with oversight by the colorado department of public health and environment cdphe as part of the cleanup activities of the summitville mine site. The surprising reason abandoned us mines havent been. Green remediation best management practices intergrating. Acid mine drainage resulted in continuous contamination of water used by downstream neighbors, including farmers, ranchers, fishermen and wildlife. Statement of basis and purpose this decision document presents the selected interim remedial action for reducing or eliminating acid mine drainage amd and cyanide contaminated waters from the heap leach pad hlp at the summitville mine superfund site in rio grande county, colorado chosen in accordance with the requirements of the.
Aug 12, 2015 the epas emergency cleanup is a quick version of typical mine treatment. Scmci, mined the site from july 1986 through october 1991 and abandoned the site in december 1992. Max dodson assistant regional administrator office of ecosystem. Documentary on the historic dredging of pcb contaminated sediments from the hudson river. At the summitville mine superfund site in colorado, a new 36kw micro hydroelectric plant will begin operating in 201 1 after three years of construction. Wightman fork, near the summitville mine, colorado. Gold and silver mining began at summitville around 1870.
Summitville mine and its downstream effects toxics program. I think people are really optimistic in the future of silverton. Sep 07, 2016 the cleanup might also improve the towns finances, which have been in decline since a mine and mill closed in 1991, esper said. Superfund innovative technology evaluation program site. Summitville mine department of public health and environment. Overview, lessons learned and best practices derived. Summitville mine superfund site inap meeting, october 78, 2009 kevin w. During the earliest days of handbook development, mike bishop of epa region 8 lead the effort to develop a superfund mine waste reference document for epa project managers working on mine.
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