Corona & Twin Peaks Mine Drainage Treatment Project

Bob Schneider

Stephen McCord

Greg Reller

August 14, 2012

A novel approach to cleaning up mine waste and ongoing

discharges from three mercury mines on private property

Acknowledgement

2

• State of California • Ecosystem Restoration Program &

its implementing agencies: • DFG • National Marine Fisheries Service • US Fish and Wildlife Service

Project Lead

Bob Schneider and Sara

Husby, Tuleyome

Project Manager

Stephen McCord, MEI

Federal

• USEPA

• BLM

• USBR

• USFWS

Drainage Treatment

Design & Monitoring

• Peter Green, UC Davis.

• Tim Tsukamoto, TKT

• Darell Slotton, UC Davis

• Justin Smith, on site

Mine Site Remediation &

Permitting

• Greg Reller, Burleson

• Vic Claassen & Craig

Thomsen, UC Davis

• John Parker, Arch. Res.

Regional / Local

• Napa County

• Solano Irrig. District

• Upper Putah Cr.

Stewardship Comm.

State

• RWQCB

• DTSC

• DFG

Liability Issues

• Michael Lozeau,

Lozeau Drury LLP

Other

• IRWM Westside Group

• DTMC

• CA Aband. Mine Lands Forum

• Enviro./Social Justice org.s

Project Support

• Andrew Fulks, Tuleyome

• Chad Roberts, Roberts

Env. & Cons. Planning

Stakeholders

Project Team

3

Outline

Regional Mercury Issues

Project Overview

Site Conditions

The Project

Q & A

4

5

108 Hg impairments on

2010 list (red = new)

Mayacmas

Mining District

6

Mineral Springs – Sulphur Creek

7

Mining Legacy

8

Portions of

Upper Putah

Creek

Watershed

Showing Some

Abandoned

Mercury Mines

Source: Slotton et al. (1999)

Helen

Local Area

9

Twin Peaks

Corona

Drain Tunnel

Pilot Project Objectives

Characterize pre- & post- conditions

Comply with applicable laws

Abate drain tunnel discharges

Clean up site

Set up for long-term O&M

Identify & resolve liability issues

Facilitate property transfer / easement

Outreach & demonstrate 10

Overall Schedule

11

Permitting

Stakeholder Coordination Reporting

Site Char. & Design

Construc-tion

Operation & Maintenance

Baseline Monitoring

Liability

Effectiveness Monitoring

2012 2013 2014

Pre-historic and Historic Uses

12

13

Site Conditions

1950’s Corona Mine:

Shows development

of mercury mining

1890’s Scott

Furnace

Soot Recovery

1940s-1950s Retort

(condenser) tubes)

Ore Bins

Waste Rock

‘Calcine’ Tailings

with Waste Rock

Rotary Furnaces

Adit

Current Site Conditions

14

Current owner has voluntarily controlled

erosion and abated discharges

15

Current Site Conditions

Current owner has voluntarily controlled

erosion and abated discharges

16

Regulatory Issues

Porter Cologne Water Quality Control Act

Mine Waste

Mine Drainage

Responsibility (Liability) to Discharger

17

Regulatory Issues

Clean Water Act

Discharge to waters of the US

Responsibility (Liability) to Discharger

18

Regulatory Issues

CERCLA (Superfund)

Current Risk

Future Risk

Responsibility (Liability) to -current and past- Owners/Operators

19

Regulatory Issues

Is it possible to effectively address risks and water quality issues at abandoned mine sites without

incurring perpetual liability as an owner/operator?

Permitting

Stakeholder Coordination Reporting

Site Char. & Design

Construc-tion

Operation & Maintenance

Baseline Monitoring

Liability

Effectiveness Monitoring

2012 2013 2014

General Project Plan

20

Characterize Mine Wastes

Characterize Mine Drainage

Monitor Surface water and aquatic biota

Obtain US EPA ‘Good Samaritan’ waiver

Implement a remediation plan under CWC Chapter 5.7

21

Questions?