Grants Mining District 5-Year Plan - Updated June 2013 - US ...
Grants Mining District 5-Year Plan - Updated June 2013 - US ...
Grants Mining District 5-Year Plan - Updated June 2013 - US ...
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EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response<br />
Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus<br />
during a visit to Jackpile Mine,<br />
<strong>Grants</strong> <strong>Mining</strong> <strong>District</strong>, New Mexico, in October 2011<br />
<strong>Updated</strong> <strong>June</strong> <strong>2013</strong><br />
Assessment of Health and<br />
Environmental Impacts of<br />
Uranium <strong>Mining</strong> and Milling<br />
Five-year <strong>Plan</strong>—<strong>Grants</strong> <strong>Mining</strong> <strong>District</strong>, New Mexico<br />
For more information, contact:<br />
Mark Purcell, <strong>Grants</strong> <strong>Mining</strong> <strong>District</strong> Coordinator<br />
EPA Region 6<br />
1445 Ross Avenue (6SF-TR)<br />
Dallas, Texas 75202<br />
214.665.6707<br />
800.533.3508<br />
purcell.mark@epa.gov
Assessment of Water Supply for Contamination<br />
Background<br />
Residents within the Ambrosia Lake and Laguna sub-districts primarily<br />
rely on private wells for residential-domestic, stock-watering, and<br />
agricultural uses. Legacy uranium mining and milling operations<br />
generated liquid wastes that included water produced from mine<br />
dewatering operations and process waters from milling operations.<br />
Elevated levels of uranium and other contaminants have been<br />
detected in ground water samples collected from monitoring wells<br />
and private drinking water wells in the <strong>Grants</strong> <strong>Mining</strong> <strong>District</strong>. The<br />
New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the U.S.<br />
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continue to assess impacts<br />
to ground water.<br />
Accomplishments<br />
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has installed and sampled<br />
ten new monitoring wells in the alluvial and San Andres bedrock<br />
aquifers at the Anaconda Bluewater Mill site; the information<br />
collected assists the ongoing assessment of the extent of ground<br />
water contamination.<br />
• EPA and NMED are continuing to collect and evaluate existing<br />
ground water data as well as assess the need for new data within<br />
the San Mateo Creek Basin to help determine the extent of the<br />
contamination.<br />
Next Steps <strong>Plan</strong>ned<br />
• Develop a ground water investigation plan within the context<br />
of a comprehensive <strong>Grants</strong> <strong>Mining</strong> <strong>District</strong> investigation.<br />
• As part of the plan, determine what additional ground water<br />
data are needed, if any, to define the extent of contamination.<br />
• Perform regional mapping of contamination within the shallow<br />
alluvium and bedrock aquifers within San Mateo Creek Basin.<br />
Assessment and Cleanup of Legacy Uranium Mines<br />
Background<br />
The <strong>Grants</strong> <strong>Mining</strong> <strong>District</strong> comprises an area of 100 miles by 25 miles<br />
where primary uranium extraction and production activities occurred<br />
in New Mexico from the 1950s to the late 1980s. There are 97 legacy<br />
uranium mines in the district with the potential for physical hazards<br />
such as open adits and shafts, and for potential releases of hazardous<br />
substances (primarily radionuclides and metals) to soil, surface water,<br />
and ground water.<br />
Accomplishments<br />
Commenced field investigations at the Section 10, Section 15,<br />
Section 30 and Marquez mines in February <strong>2013</strong> using the<br />
characterization protocol developed for documenting a CERCLA<br />
release of hazardous substances at legacy uranium mine sites.<br />
• Under a Unilateral Administrative Order, the Potentially<br />
Responsible Parties completed remediation work at the San<br />
Mateo Mine, located on U.S. Forest Service land in March <strong>2013</strong>.<br />
Site work included:<br />
Regrading of waste rock piles;<br />
Stripping off surface soil within a 100-acre area contaminated<br />
by windblown deposition and placement of the soil around<br />
the waste rock piles to form a 24-acre on-site repository;<br />
Construction of a 3.5-foot thick evapotranspiration soil and<br />
vegetative cover on top of the repository to reduce windblown<br />
transport and prevent infiltration of precipitation;<br />
Fencing around the perimeter of the repository;<br />
Quarterly inspections and operation and maintenance (O&M)<br />
shall be performed at the San Mateo Mine by the Potentially<br />
Responsible Parties for a period of five years to ensure the<br />
effectiveness of the vegetative cover and fencing. The U.S.<br />
Forest Service will perform yearly inspections during that<br />
time. After five years the site will be turned over to the U.S.<br />
Forest Service to assume future O&M responsibility.<br />
• Initiated site evaluations of the Barbara J mine complex in the<br />
Poison Canyon area.<br />
• U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is reviewing a proposal by<br />
Uranium Company of New Mexico to reclaim the Rio Puerco Mine.<br />
The proposal includes the characterization of mine waste, soil and<br />
ground water and the burial of mine waste on site.<br />
• Evaluated need for ground water abatement actions or reclamation<br />
work at mines through implementation of the New Mexico<br />
mining and ground water discharge permitting programs.<br />
Next Steps <strong>Plan</strong>ned<br />
Complete the ongoing CERCLA-release investigations at the<br />
Section 10, Section 15, Section 30 and Marquez mines and initiate<br />
additional mine investigations as warranted. The investigations<br />
will include measuring radiation levels and collecting soil and<br />
water samples to determine impact from mining activities.<br />
BLM and the New Mexico Abandoned Mine Lands Program will<br />
close shafts and bore holes on the Barbara J complex of mines.<br />
Conduct emergency action at mine sites when warranted due to<br />
releases of hazardous substances to the environment or physical<br />
hazards.<br />
Continue to evaluate need for ground water abatement actions or<br />
reclamation work at mines through implementation of the state<br />
mining and ground water discharge permitting programs.<br />
Contaminant Assessment, Cleanup, and Long-Term<br />
Management of Former Uranium Milling Sites<br />
Background<br />
There are five legacy uranium mill sites within the <strong>Grants</strong> <strong>Mining</strong><br />
<strong>District</strong>. Four are located in Ambrosia Lake sub-district and one in the<br />
Laguna sub-district. The Homestake Mill site and the Ambrosia Lake-<br />
Rio Algom Mill site are currently under the jurisdiction of the U.S.<br />
Nuclear Regulatory Commission until reclamation is complete. The<br />
Homestake Mill site is also regulated by EPA under its Superfund<br />
Program. Once reclamation at these two mill sites is complete and the<br />
sites are decommissioned, they will be transferred to the DOE for<br />
long-term surveillance and monitoring under its Legacy Management<br />
Program. DOE is currently responsible for such activities at the<br />
Ambrosia Lake-Phillips Mill site, the Anaconda Bluewater Mill site,<br />
and the L-Bar Mill site as reclamation and decommissioning have been<br />
completed.<br />
Accomplishments<br />
Installed ten new monitoring wells in the San Andres/Glorieta<br />
aquifer and the alluvial aquifer at the Anaconda Bluewater Mill<br />
site to delineate the extent of contamination further. The Uranium<br />
concentrations in a point of compliance well and two additional<br />
monitoring wells in the alluvial aquifer are elevated. The<br />
concentration of Uranium in a ground water sample collected<br />
from a nearby San Andres/Glorieta water production well<br />
constructed for the Homestake Mill site is also increasing.<br />
Uranium concentrations in the Homestake production well have<br />
consistently exceeded the federal drinking water standard since<br />
2005.<br />
Initiated a search to identify all the private water wells in the area<br />
of the Bluewater Mill site for possible sampling.<br />
Completed the human health risk assessment (HHRA) at the<br />
Homestake Mill site and released the draft report to the public for<br />
review. The HHRA can be viewed on the EPA web site at: http://<br />
epa.gov/region6/6sf/newmexico/homestake_mining/index.html<br />
The draft ground water Corrective Action <strong>Plan</strong> for the Homestake<br />
Mill site has been reviewed by federal and state agencies and the<br />
public. Comments received on the Corrective Action <strong>Plan</strong> are<br />
currently being assessed.<br />
Next Steps <strong>Plan</strong>ned<br />
Complete ground water investigations at the Anaconda<br />
Bluewater Mill site, including installation and sampling of<br />
additional monitoring wells, if warranted.<br />
Complete the final HHRA Report for the Homestake Mill site.<br />
Complete revision of the ground water Corrective Action <strong>Plan</strong> for<br />
the Homestake Mill site based on the Remedy System Evaluation<br />
for improving remediation efficiencies.<br />
Assessment and Cleanup of Contaminated Structures<br />
Background<br />
The <strong>Grants</strong> <strong>Mining</strong> <strong>District</strong> has been inhabited since the 12 th century;<br />
therefore, structures can date back to those early days. More recent<br />
dwellings may be constructed of materials unearthed during mining<br />
activities or built on or near high uranium content lands. Based on the<br />
results of the Airborne Spectrophotometric/Environmental Collection<br />
Technology (ASPECT) Gamma Emergency Mapper and residential<br />
radiological survey, EPA has been surveying structures and properties<br />
potentially affected.<br />
Accomplishments<br />
Assessed 548 structures/properties to date for potential gamma<br />
and elemental uranium contamination; of those identified, 151<br />
structures have radiation contamination above action levels.<br />
Completed the following removal actions:<br />
Relocated one resident near the Johnny M Mine site.<br />
Structure demolished at the Sun Clan Road Site.<br />
Soil removals were completed at 12 residential properties at<br />
the Bear Canyon site in April 2012. The soil was disposed in<br />
Clive, Utah.<br />
Paving rocks were removed at one residence at the Hogan<br />
Mine area in April 2012. The rocks were disposed in Clive,<br />
Utah.<br />
Soil removals were completed at 12 residential properties at<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
the Mount Taylor San Mateo Radiation Site in April 2012.<br />
Soil removals were completed at 14 residential properties at<br />
the Rio San Jose Radiation Site. The properties are located in<br />
four villages on Pueblo of Laguna.<br />
Soil removals were completed at nine residential properties<br />
at the Oak Canyon Site and radon abatement systems were<br />
installed in 23 homes.<br />
A structure was replaced with a modular house at the Middle<br />
Reservoir Road site in the Village of Paquate.<br />
Radon abatement systems were installed at eight homes<br />
south of the Homestake Mill site.<br />
Next Steps <strong>Plan</strong>ned (as needed)<br />
• Complete testing on all potentially affected structures.<br />
• Continue to implement radon abatement at residences.<br />
• Continue to clean up contaminated soil at residences.<br />
• Continue to clean up contaminated structures.<br />
Jackpile Mine on Laguna Pueblo<br />
Background<br />
The Jackpile Mine, once the world’s largest open pit uranium mine,<br />
is located on the Pueblo of Laguna near the village of Paguate and<br />
operated from 1953 to 1982. A Record of Decision was adopted by the<br />
U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management<br />
in 1986 with the objective of reclaiming and stabilizing the mine site.<br />
Accomplishments<br />
Finalized CERCLA Site Inspection report that documents impacts to<br />
ground water and soil.<br />
Completed Expanded Site Inspection to further investigate the<br />
ground water to surface water pathway at the site.<br />
Proposed site to the EPA National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund<br />
Sites in March 2012; final listing is anticipated in October <strong>2013</strong>.<br />
Next Step <strong>Plan</strong>ned<br />
Negotiate with potentially responsible parties for performance of a<br />
CERCLA remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS).<br />
Public Health Surveillance<br />
Background<br />
Historical releases from legacy uranium sites throughout the <strong>Grants</strong><br />
<strong>Mining</strong> <strong>District</strong> are documented. Area residents requested health<br />
screenings and studies to evaluate health impacts from uranium<br />
mining and milling in the area.<br />
Accomplishments<br />
New Mexico Department of Health conducted public health<br />
surveillance for uranium exposure. The results are documented<br />
in the “<strong>Grants</strong> Mineral Belt Uranium Biomonitoring Project<br />
Summary” which is posted on the New Mexico Environmental<br />
Public Health Tracking website: https://nmtracking.unm.edu/<br />
environ_exposure/exposure-data_biomonitor/.<br />
New Mexico Department of Health was successful in adding<br />
uranium exposure as a notifiable condition: uranium in urine<br />
greater than 0.2 micrograms/liter or 0.2 micrograms/gram<br />
creatinine. New Mexico is the only state to have uranium exposure<br />
as a notifiable condition.<br />
A free on-line Private Well Class is being offered to homeowners<br />
with water wells and other stakeholders to learn the basics of<br />
managing and protecting their water sources. The class is part of a<br />
new nationwide technical assistance and training initiative funded<br />
by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership through a grant by<br />
EPA. Information about the class is posted on the New Mexico<br />
Environmental Public Health Tracking website: http://<br />
nmtracking.org/water/en/environ_exposure/water-qual/<br />
private-wells/well-resources.<br />
Other information about private wells, Uranium and health is<br />
posted on the following New Mexico Department of Health<br />
websites: http://nmtracking.org/water and http:/nmtracking.org/<br />
water/en/environ-exposure/contaminants/uranium.<br />
During National Ground Water Awareness Week in March <strong>2013</strong>,<br />
the New Mexico Department of Health sent mail-outs about managing<br />
and protecting water resources to certain households known<br />
to have private wells, including key households that are located<br />
within the areas of concern.<br />
Next Steps <strong>Plan</strong>ned<br />
Continue to field questions from the public regarding potential sources<br />
of exposure to uranium and how to reduce exposure.