MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySites

HazardousMaterialsInventory

MontanaDepartmentofEnvironmentalQualityMineWasteCleanupBureau

USDAForestService,Region1

USDOIBureauofLandManagement

PioneerTechnicalServices,Inc.

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

InventoryGenesis

VicAndersen

• Coordinated effortbyStateandFederalLand/SiteManagers.

• Standardized Assessment ofPrioritySitesapplying consistentapproach andapplicablecomponents oftheUSEPA’sHazardRankingSystem.

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

ProjectObjectives• Toidentifyandprioritize theabandoned minesitesthatpresently

posethemostthreats topublichealthandsafetyandtheenvironment

• Toconsistently collectdataoneachPriority Sitetoidentifyproblemsassociatedwitheachsiteandtodirectlycompareandranksites(Allsampling andanalysismethods strictly followUSEPAprotocols toensureconsistent andaccurateresults).

• Todevelopalong-term strategyusingstatutory and financialresourcesavailable tosystematically reducethehazards associatewiththeprioritized abandoned minesites

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

InventoryTimeline• 1991– Preparationofthesuspectlist– MDSL/AMRB, MDNRC,

USFSRegion1,USDOI/BLM

• 1992- InventoryPreparations

• 1993– 269SiteInvestigations/Preliminary Reporting

• 1994– 62AdditionalSiteInvestigations(identifiedduring1993fieldwork),siteranking,reportpreparation

• 1995– FinalReporting

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

InventoryPreparation• ContractwithPioneerTechnicalServices,Inc

• InventoryForm,SAP,LAP,QAPP,andHSP

• RecordsSearcho MBMGWellLogDatabaseo MontanaRiversInformationSystemo MDHESCommunityWaterSuppliesDatabaseo USGSstreamflowmonitoringreportso PopulationEstimateso Landownershiprecordso HistoricMine/Millsite operationsReports(USBMCirculars/USGSBulletins/MBMGpublications)

• FieldEquipmentProcurement/Training

• AccessAgreements

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

FieldWorkSampling

• 3crewsof3– staggeredrotation2weeksfield/1weekofficeo 2new4wdFieldTruckso MDSLBellJetRangero State-oftheArtFieldEquipment

Samplingperformedonwasterockdumps,milltailings,streams,ponds,aditdischarges,floodedshafts,monitoringwellsoradjacentdomesticwells.• Milltailingswerecharacterizedspatiallyandvertically• CompositewasterocksampleswerecollectedbasedonXRFfieldanalysisresults.• Surfacewatersamplingwasperformedtohelpunderstandoverallimpactsin

drainageaswellasdocumentreleasesfromsitebeinginvestigated• SiteMapping

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

Testing/AnalysisWater• Field– FlowRate,pH,SpecificConductance,Alkalinity, Temperature.• Laboratory- TotalMetals(surfacewater)andDissolvedMetals(groundwater),TDS,Chlorides,

Sulfates,Nitrites/Nitrates,Cyanide.

MineWaste/Sediments• Field– XRFMetals,pH,Radioactivity• Laboratory- TotalMetals,Acid/BaseAccounting

LaboratoryDatawasvalidatedperEPArequirements

XRFdatawasalsovalidatedpermanufacturersspecificationsandevaluatedstatisticallytodemonstratestrongcorrelationwithlaboratorydata.

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

AIMSS

TheAbandonedandInactiveMinesScoringSystemwasdevelopedtosystematicallyscorethePrioritySitescloselyfollowingthelogicandalgorithmofUSEPA’sHazardRankingSystemforinclusionofuncontrolledhazardouswastesitesontheCERCLANationalPrioritiesList.

Fourpathwaysorroutesofexposurewereevaluated:• Groundwaterpathway• Surfacewaterpathway• Airpathway• Directcontactpathway

Threeprimary factorswereevaluatedwithineachpathway:• Likelihoodofreleaseofhazardousconstituentstothepathway• Wastecharacteristics,includingconcentrationsofhazardousconstituents,quantities,andrelativetoxicity

tohumansandtheecosystem.• Potentialreceptorsofexposuretohazardousconstituents,bothhumanandecologic.

Note:theRAIMSSwasdevelopedbymodifyingtheAIMSStoevaluatereclaimedsitesforeffectivenessofthereclamationandde-listing.

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

Highlights1993– 269Sites 1994– 64Sites

#Removed55fromlistduetonegligiblerisk

145FieldDays/Approx.850person-days

1993– 69daysofmeasurableprecipitation(nearlydoublethecumulativeamountof40-yraverage)

3690XRFfieldsamples/1963labsamples– 120,700datapoints

WasteRock– 387acres/6,983,000cubicyards

MillTailings– 498acres/8,550,000cubicyards

DischargingAdits – 198/33withpH<5.087SDWAMCLexceedances/76aquaticlifecriteriaexceedances

FloodedShafts– 13/3withpH<5.06SDWAMCLexceedances

148ObservedReleasedtoSurfaceWater/SedimentdirectlyattributabletotheSite.

SummaryReportisavailableonMDEQ’swebsite:http://deq.mt.gov/Land/AbandonedMines/priority

FullReportsavailableatMDEQortheMontanaStateLibrary.

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

ProgresstoDate

Ofthe273SitesonthePriorityList:

• 45SitesReclaimedbyMDEQunderSMRCA

• 5SitesReclaimedbyUSFSRegion1underCERCLA

• 18SitesReclaimedbyUSEPAunderCERCLA

• 49SitesscheduledforRemedialInvestigationbyUSEPA

MontanaAbandonedHardrockMinePrioritySitesHazardousMaterialsInventory

WhatwouldIdodifferent?

• Technology– TabletswiththeInventoryFieldForm,pre-loadedsatelliteimagerysitemapsandbluetoothinterfaceswithXRFandfieldmeters

• Safety