Attachment2.pdf

Site Characterization Summary Lower Sullivan Climax Mine Site, Summit County, Colorado

DRAFT

Prepared for Olivia Garcia

White River National Forest US Forest Service

Prepared by

Colorado Mountain College Natural Resource Management Program

May 14, 2010

Lower Sullivan Climax Site Characterization Report- DRAFT

Introduction

The Lower Sullivan Climax mine area is located southwest of Montezuma, Colorado (Figure 1) and is an abandoned mine that sits within the Montezuma Mining District.

This district was heavily mined for silver, zinc, and lead ore beginning in the late-1800’s (Patton, 1908). The mine site, located within the USFS White River National Forest District, was initially investigated by Colorado Geologic Survey (CGS) personnel in 1993 (Attachment C), for which several mine waste piles and adits were identified and described. In 2009, the USFS White River District Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program followed up the 1993 investigation with a thorough environmental site characterization that included sampling of mine waste, water, and soil to help determine if the mine site is a significant source of heavy metal contamination.

The site is located within the upper reaches of the Snake River Watershed Basin, which terminates at the Dillon Reservoir (CDPHE, 2005a) and is less than 2 miles outside of the town of Montezuma. Access to the mine site requires taking County Road 5 south out of the town of Montezuma until Bullion Mine road. At Bullion Mine road veer right and stay on the road, which turns into Webster pass road. After one mile on Webster pass road take a right at an unmarked forest service road, this leads up to the mine (snowpack permitting). The total travel distance is approximately 3 miles and 15 minutes outside of Montezuma.

The Snake River has been identified by the Colorado Water Quality Control Division, as a segment requiring monitoring and evaluation (Colorado’s 2004 303(d) list) which identifies the upper portion of the Snake River, and its tributaries as being ‘impaired’ and of significantly poor quality (CDPHE, 2005a). The segment is listed as high priority due to impairments is associated with pH, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. The waters of the Snake River are classified as having ‘aquatic life cold 1, recreation 1a, water supply and agriculture’ uses (CDPHE, 2005a). The Lower Sullivan Climax mine is located within close proximity to a perennial stream and has a continually flowing adit.

The Lower Sullivan Climax site is located on a steep west-northwest facing slope on Sullivan Peak and sits just below timberline at an elevation of 11,300 feet. The high altitude and weather conditions limit the species able to grow and the ecosystem is considered alpine to tundra. The mean annual precipitation is attributable to snow fall with a mean of 76 cm and a range of 60 – 120 cm. The mean annual temperature is -3oC.

The sites are located within the Montezuma Mining District, which is located within the Colorado Mineral Belt. The Colorado Mineral Belt spans much of the Front Range and was produced by the Laramide Orogeny during the early Tertiary period (approximately 65-50 million years ago). Throughout this time igneous bodies intruded Precambrian metamorphic units and hydrothermal solutions activated by the molten activity containing rich concentrations of dissolved metals (including precious metals such as gold and silver), which were deposited within the intrusions in cracks and fissures from block faulting (Patton, 1908).

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Event Overview

The Colorado Mountain College Natural Resource Management (CMC NRM) program, in conjunction with Olivia Garcia of USFS, performed an environmental field investigation of abandoned mine workings and waste piles at the Lower Sullivan Climax mine site near Montezuma, Colorado. The event occurred on August 7, 2009 and included four personnel from CMC NRM. Mine waste and water samples were collected from the main mine site, while mines located upslope from the Lower Sullivan Climax mine were only photographed and visually inspected. These mines are at elevations >12,000 feet and are surrounded largely by talus slopes. There was an ephemeral stream on the north side of the Lower Sullivan Climax mine, which received no drainage from the mine adit or runoff from the mine waste piles, but the water quality of the stream was tested near its confluence with the Snake River and suggested that the stream and its source may need to be revisited if further site investigations are required (see Table 5 of Attachment A).

Summary of Field Sample Collection

This section summarizes the field sampling activities as described in the Sampling Analysis Plan (SAP) and Quality Assurance Protection Plan (QAPP) provided for the USFS by CMC NRM department.

Surface Water Surface water was present at the Lower Sullivan Climax site from the flowing adit, of which a total of four samples were collected for dissolved metals to be analyzed at the CMC Timberline Analytical Laboratory (TAL). In-situ water quality parameters (pH, conductivity, temperature, oxidation reduction potential, and total dissolved solids) and discharge were also measured. Adit drainage water samples were collected from the adit opening (SC-ADIT), at the top of the mine waste pile (SC-01) and in the flow path of the mine-waste pile (SC-02). A background sample (SC-Background) was also collected at an ephemeral stream that runs parallel to the flow of the adit, ~50 feet south. Water quality was measured at all sites where water samples were collected as well as before water runs and at a location where adit water traveled north away from the mine waste pile down the USFS road (SC-04). Analytical and field results are shown in Tables 3 and 4 of Attachment A.

Mine Waste and Soil The mine site included a single waste pile (SC-200), which was located ~50 feet from the adit opening. This feature, and a background soil sample (SC-Background Soil), were collected in order to characterize the total metal content and leachate chemistry.

Results from mine waste solid and leachate analyses are shown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 in Attachment A.

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Laboratory Analysis Methods Soil and Mine Waste Total metals analysis was performed with an InnovX α-4000 Environmental X-Ray Fluorospectrometer (XRF) Analyzer in CMC TAL. Mine waste and soil were sieved to a size <2mm and powdered to a particle size <0.8µm for XRF analysis. Analysis by XRF used a 120 second acquisition time and three NIST soil standard reference materials were used for quality control. Samples were analyzed for total metal solids including: As, Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Se, Ag, Th, V, Zn, Ti, Mn, Sb, Fe, Rb, Sr, Zr, and Sn, although detectable values are reported.

Mine Waste Leachate Mine waste leachate was created by the procedures outlined in Smith and others (2000) and analyzed for pH and conductivity using a Hach sension probe. The leachate was filtered and preserved with HNO3 for metals analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES), which followed an in-house method for the analysis of Al, As, Cd, Cu, Ca, Fe, Pb, Mg, Mn, Se, and Zn.

The mine waste leachate aliquots were diluted by a factor of five to accommodate the method calibration and instrument sensitivity. A continuous calibration verification standard was included during the analysis to account for instrument drift, along with the analysis of standard solutions as unknowns to follow quality assurance and quality control protocols.

Surface Water Metals analysis, by ICP-OES for surface water, used the same method as the mine waste leachate analysis. The dissolved metals fraction was filtered in the field through a 0.45µm filter and acidified to a pH <2.0 with nitric acid. No further preparation of the dissolved metals fraction was performed prior to analysis. No totals metals were analyzed

Summary and Recommendations

Results from the site characterization show that the existing mine waste pile is potentially a significant source of acidity and heavy metals. Copper, iron, manganese and zinc are found in substantial concentrations in the mine waste material, leachate, and water samples, while cadmium was present to a lesser extent. It is recommended that an additional site characterization occur during the spring run-off to quantify any loading of heavy metals from the mine site during high flow into the Snake River. This would occur in conjunction with analysis of water from Snake River above and below the confluence with input from the Lower Sullivan Climax mine to determine the percent of the mine’s loading in the Snake River. Characterization of the ephemeral stream to the south of the mine site, which was collected as the background sample (SC-background) should also be analyzed and the source of contamination should be investigated, as aluminum, copper and cadmium concentrations were either higher or comparable to SC samples (see Table 4 in Attachment A). Likewise a similar investigation should occur on the ephemeral stream to the north of the mine site. An additional characterization should be considered due to the proximity of the mine site to the town of Montezuma and the high use of the area due to the popularity of 4WD and cross country skiing.

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References Cited

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). 2004. 303(d) List:

Exhibit 1 - Water Quality Control Division Proposal, Upper Colorado River Basin Stream Segments

Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE). 2005a.

Regulation No. 31, The Basic Standards and Methodologies for Surface Water (5 CCR 1002-31). March 22, 2005.

Patton, Horrace. 1908. The Montezuma Mining District of Summit County, Colorado.

In The First Report, 1908, and accompanying papers by R.D. George., Colorado Geological Survey. Denver, Colorado. Smith-Brooks Printing Company.

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F S igure 1. Site location of the Lower Sullivan Climax Mine, northwest of Montezuma in ummit County, Colorado.

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Attachment A Analytical Results Tables

Table 1. Soil and Mine Waste XRF Results (mg/kg)

Site ID As Ag Cd Cr Cu Fe Hg Ni Pb Se Zn

SC 200 16 91 <LOD 243 73 93057 20 122 336 7 80

SC Background <LOD 62 <LOD 167 103 71489 <LOD 75 103 <LOD 99

<LOD: Limit of Instrument Detection

Table 2. Mine Waste Leachate Results (mg/l) Site ID Al As Cd Ca Cu Fe Pb Mg Mn Zn

MDL 0.040 0.0035 0.001 0.0306 0.0033 0.0077 0.0043 0.0072 0.0009 0.0029

SC 200 18.97 0.01 0.01 11.80 0.63 84.25 0.01 8.33 1.37 0.64

SC Background 1.72 ND ND 9.56 0.04 1.05 ND 1.03 0.50 0.14

MDL = Method Dection Limit, ND = Non-detect by ICP-OES (CMC TAL).

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Table 3. Mine Waste Leachate Chemistry Results

Site ID Paste pH Paste

Conductivity (uS/cm)

Leachate pH Leachate

Conductivity (uS/cm)

Acidity, mg/L CaCO3

SC 200 2.32 1261 2.56 1214 310

SC Background 5.00 47.4 5.08 73.5 14

Table 4. Surface Water Results – Dissolved Metals (mg/L) Metal Al As Cd Ca Cu Fe Pb Mg Mn Zn

MDL 0.040 0.0035 0.001 0.0306 0.0033 0.0077 0.0043 0.0072 0.0009 0.0029

SC-01 5.80 ND 0.003 22.51 0.011 19.26 ND 14.31 3.88 1.59

SC-02 5.76 ND 0.003 22.32 0.009 14.39 ND 14.33 3.80 1.64

SC-Adit 5.24 ND 0.003 26.82 0.008 19.28 ND 14.78 3.63 1.60

SC-BCKGRND 11.83 ND 0.002 6.68 0.076 1.21 ND 6.35 0.54 0.35

*SC-Adit (8/25/93) 3.6 ND 0.001 53 0.012 11 <.005 11 2.7 1.2

MDL = Method Detection Limit ND = Non-detect by ICP-OES (CMC TAL).

NM = Not Measured *Values from Colorado Geological Survey on attached Field Form (Attachment A) from initial site investigation in 1993

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Table 5. Surface Water Quality Results Sample site pH Conductivity

(uS/cm) Temp (˚C)

TDS

(ppm) ORP (mV)

SC-01 3.58 513.9 3.4 371.6 444

SC-02 3.46 580.0 11.6 397.3 463

SC-03 3.31 581.2 7.8 400.0 520

SC-04 3.50 536.1 10.2 366.3 449

SC-Adit* 3.58 513.9 3.4 NM NM

SC-Background 3.60 349.9 5.4 236.6 470 Between SC201-202 at SR confluence 3.16 1417 13.2 1002 538

*Discharge from adit ~9.3 gpm

Stream between SC201-202 should be sampled on next site visit as well as locations of mine influence investigated

Attachment B Photo Documentation

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Photo 1: Flowing adit at Sullivan Climax.

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Photo 2: Water flowing from adit over top of mine pile 200.

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Photo 3: View from bottom of mine waste pile 200, flags locating sample location for mine waste.

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Photo 4: Sample SC-02 being collected on south side of mine waste pile by CMC NRM intern.

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Photo 5: Marshy area below mine waste pile where water runs before entering ephemeral stream, which eventually leads into the Snake River.

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Photo 6: Further north of SC-02 site. Fe(OOH) deposit suggests that during higher flow water flows through trees.

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Photo 7: View from south side of pile 200, more evidence of adit water flowing around pile during times of higher flow, which has produced a wide kill zone.

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Photo 8: Evidence of sediment and water affected by AMD influencing health of trees on south side of pile 200.

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Photo 9: Location of water quality site SC-03 below mine waste pile before marshy area begins. To right of sampling equipment is the kill zone, which extends to the base of pile 200.

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Photo 10: View from base of pile, showing extent of mine waste as well as kill zone.

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Photo 11: Looking down from top of mine pile 200, noting location of sample collection, Fe(OOH) staining on south side (left) and again extent of kill zone before marshy area begins.

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Photo 12: SC-background sample collection. This was south and above Lower Sullivan Climax mine.

Fe(OOH) present at stream bottom and water quality values (pH 3.6 and conductivity 349.9 µS) suggest that this stream is impacted by mining activity further up the peak. Areas above the stream were investigated for mining activity, but none was found during the August 2009 visit.

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Photo 13: Historic mining equipment, boiler compressor, at site near the adit of Lower Sullivan Climax mine.

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Photo 14: Water flowing from mining activity located above tree line north of Lower Sullivan Climax mine. This area was visited but no samples or water quality were taken at the site of the photo.

Water quality was measured for this stream on road near its confluence with Snake River.

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Photo 15: Where water seen in Photo 14 originates from. Mine waste piles dotted the peak side.

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Photo 16: Location of SC background soil sample collected, north of adit.

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Attachment C USFS Field Data Form, 1993 Site Investigation