Flat Creek Iron Mountain Mine Superfund project nearly complete
The Flat Creek Iron Mountain Mine Superfund project is nearing completion north of Superior. A recent STAC report detailed the remaining projects including the search for an alternative water source for Superior. (Kathleen Woodford/Mineral Independent).
Snow over Flat Creek beds are starting to thaw revealing a layer of reseeding material along the banks. (Kathleen Woodford/Mineral Independent)
he Flat Creek Iron Mountain Mine Superfund project is nearing completion with just some reseeding, a few tailings and finding a source for alternative drinking water left to do, according to a report by Steve Ackerlund, the Superior Technical Assistance Committee consultant. Minor revisions are still being made to the latest Removal Action Construction Completion Report with final decisions schedule to be made this week.
The site was contaminated by the 1888 Iron Mountain Mine which continued to operate throughout the 1900’s producing primarily lead, zinc, and copper. Where the water and soil was found to have contaminates including arsenic, mercury, and antimony.
The Department of Environmental Quality has finished up their portion of the work which primarily took place last summer of the nearly $3.5 million Superfund project. Over 90,000 cubic yards of contaminated tailings were hauled to the Wood Gulch Repository. Flat Creek was then cleared, replanted with trees and shrubs and reseeded, except for 10 acres. About $300,000 is left from the ASARCO settlement funds for long-term operation and maintenance.
Also, approximately 8,000 additional cubic yards of tailings has been identified by the US Forest Service. The original estimates were 1,500 cubic yards of tailings on forest service property. As a result, DEQ is proposing to revise the repository design to accommodate the increased volume. The repository originally had capacity for 100,000 cubic yards. The department is continuing to work with Trout Unlimited to develop an approach to minimize the removal of trees and shrubs from along Flat Creek.
The current contractor, Pioneer, is expected to provide design and construction management. “Due to the larger project size, it seems unlikely that a small business set-aside is still viable, though a disadvantage business option is being considered,” the report states.
Also, private parcels of land downstream from the forest service property has been identified as having small pockets of contaminated sediment with elevated metal concentrations. Property owners have been notified and they are considering options on how to proceed.
The Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing a draft of the remedial investigation work plan to assess if any further work is needed in the area. However, under the current continuing resolution status of the federal government, no funding is currently available for this fiscal year to conduct site work. The Superior 5-year review which was conducted last summer is also expected to be released to the public this year.
Another portion of the cleanup operation was to find an alternative drinking water supply. This is emergency backup water for Superior. The forest service is planning on drilling in an area above the repository as soon as the area is accessible. The next STAC meeting is tentatively scheduled for this spring to review the Flat Creek Remedial Investigation Work Plan and the USFS Action Memorandum for further tailings removal on Flat Creek.