Mudslides are not a major concern

SUPERIOR – Concerns are mounting over the possibility of mudslides interfering with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund cleanup of Superior area homes and land.

According to Tim Read, Mineral County Environmental Health Officer, wildfires present the risk of changes in weather patterns that could lead to more run-off during a rainstorm. This has the potential to cause mudslides that would hinder EPA efforts to remove dangerous mine tailings from the soil.

Were mudslides to occur they could potentially bury the tailings and make the Superfund cleanup more difficult. With the project nearing completion, this would lead to problematic delays and frustration within the community.

According to Read, discussions were held with the EPA about the threat of mudslides but did not leave enough time to take any real action.

“By the time the EPA got started there wasn’t enough time to set up anything between the EPA and the Fire Service, in the way of a solution, that could be done this construction season,” said Read.

There is also some concern that, when the winter’s snow pack starts melting next spring, more mudslides could occur.

Read said that, while the Fire Service has done a remedial investigation into this possibility, not enough is known about how the weather is going to act to say how much of a risk there will be. He said that, while there could be problems in the spring, for now all they can really do is keep an eye on things.

“We’ll be monitoring the situation for any unusual or out of the ordinary levels of precipitation,” Read said.

If such patterns occur, Read said they will reevaluate the situation and consider the options of a response to mudslides at that time.

In the 1950’s and 60’s mine tailings were discovered in the Superior area. It was through the tailings were brought by residents.

In 1998, noticeable traces of the tailings appeared in Superior’s water supply and creek drainage. Since then, other dangerous substances were discovered in Flat Creek.

The EPA set up a Superfund project to remove the tailings and store them elsewhere. In a recent Town Council meeting, it was announced that the contaminated soil would be removed from the temporary repository at the Mineral County Airport to a permanent storage facility.