Mobilize to Site

Build a cap for areas 6 and 7

Demobilize from site.

EPA and ERRS contractor mobilized to site on 8-21-23. Excavator, front loader and skid steer were delivered to site a day earlier on 8-20-23.

Soil for the cap was delivered via dump trucks from a local yard on 8-21-23.  Half of lower pond (Area 7) cap was completed on 8-21-23. Two trucking companies delivered 382.28 Tons of cap material.

Trout Unlimited (TU) was on site 8-21-23 representing US Forest Service (USFS) and will be completing the vegetative cover of cap once EPA work is completed.  

USFS Archeologist was on 8-22 to 8-24 to ensure historic facilities were protected during work.

Lower pond cap (Area 7) was completed on 8-23 and upper pond (Area 6) cap began construction.  Both trucking companies reported that they had to work on other jobs and could not support site work after 8-23-23. ERRS got a dump truck from their office in Denver and had it on site by 11 am. on 8-23-23. ERRS delivered cap material the rest of day Wednesday and all day Thursday.

Cap of both ponds was completed late on 8-24-23.

Met with TU to walk through final cap on 8-25-23. TU will be adding vegatation to cap in the next couple of weeks.

Demoilized from the site on 8-25-23.

Buckskin Joe Cap Cover Material Used

8/21 - 382.28 Tons

8/22 – 437.03 Tons

8/23 – 206.25 Tons

8/24 – 344.09 Tons

Total 1,369.65 Tons

1. Mobilize to site

2. Site set up

3. Complete grubbing operations to access areas with tailings

4. Start contaminated soil removal

5. Set up communications plan with town of Alma Water Department

1. EPA, ERRS and USCG Mobilized to site on 08 July. This included two haul trucks, excavator, skidsteer, and a dozer.

2. Completed Area 8 by removing the tailings with 5 gallon buckets and loading them in a skidsteer to take to area 2 on 12 July.

3. Conducted de-grubbing and clearing the area wide enough to allow haul truck and excavator access to areas 3, 4, and 5 on 12 July.

4. Met with Alma Water Department on 11 July and discussed communications plan.

1. Set up mobile office

2. Commence contaminated soil removal in area 4

3. Finalize Communications Plan

4. Update response website to keep community informed of current and future operations.

1. Complete Area 9.

2. Complete Area 10.

3. Start work in Area 4.

1. Completed grubbing operations allowing haul truck and excavator access to areas 9 and 10 on 17JUL.

2. Mobile office and storage unit was delivered. The mobile office office was set up with Startlink internet on 15JUL allowing computer and cell phones to work at the site.

3. Communications plan finalized on 16JUL.

1. Complete and grade Areas 9 and 10.

2. Commence contaminated soil removal in Area 4.

3. Update response website to keep community informed of current and future operations.

1. Altitude sickness.

2. Low lying electrical lines.

3. Heavy equipment on steep slopes.

4. Increased pedestrian traffic.

1. Complete Area 5.

2. Complete Area 4.

3. Complete grading and seeding in area’s 4,5,9 & 10.

1. Completed removal of all tailings and waste rock in area 5. Tailings and waste rock were stagged in area 2. The site was seeded and raked.

2. Site access to area 5 was blocked by stagging large rocks at entry point post removal operations.

3. Developed plan to not impact newly discovered collapsed adit in area 4 that may contain mine impacted water. 

1. Continue seeding in completed areas 9 and 10.

2. Continue contaminated soil removal in Area 4.

3. Update response website to keep community informed of current and future operations.

1. Altitude sickness.

2. Low lying electrical lines.

3. Heavy equipment on steep slopes.

4. Increased pedestrian traffic.

2. Staged large rocks for area denial post removal operations. 

3. Developed plan to not impact newly discovered adit.  Buckskin Joe Mine Update for Area

4.  A DRMS Marker in Area 4 down near Buckskin Creek was discovered just before starting to remove the waste rock pile.  After consulting with DRMS, area 4 is a collapsed adit that may or may not contain trapped mine impacted water (MIW).  To prevent the possible release of MIW into Buckskin Creek, EPA decided to leave the waste rock in-place and cap the pile instead of removing it.  BACKGROUND:  While we were about to work in Area 4, that has a large waste rock pile that abuts Buckskin Creek (see picture), we found a DRMS marker down near the creek. After doing some research and contacting DRMS we found the area is part of a collapsed adit that could have mine impacted water built up behind it. DRMS did work on the site back in 2000. Their records show they studied the site to see if water was behind the collapse, stating that if they saw water, they planned to install a drainage pipe as part of the closure. However, there was no record if the pipe was installed or not.   There was water flowing into the area that had ponded at the bottom, mixing with water from the draining adit in area 3 that was being directed to this area. We redirected the area 3 flow away from the site to let it dry on Friday to see if there was water seeping out of the collapse. After the weekend, the site was drier but, water was still seeping from the collapsed adit in Area 4. 

The original plan briefed to the town was to have all the waste rock and tailings removed from along the creek. Since Area 4 has so many unknowns, the EPA decided not to remove all the waste rock from this area to avoid a sudden release of the mine pool. We ended up removing some of the waste rock and changing the slope of the remaining pile to allow a cap to be installed over the remaining waste rock, armoring it against leaching and physical movement into the creek.

On 06 AUG 2024, 04 ERRS contractors and one haul truck demobilized from the site. Also, DRMS issues permit to allow Buckskin Joe waste rock and tailings to be sent to London Mine operated by Minewater LLC.

07 AUG 2024, EPA issued letter to Minewater LLC that they meet the off-site rule and have been authorization to recieve waste rock and tailings from Buckskin Joe.

The roads, truck turn around site and loading areas were improved to allow efficient hauling of waste to London Mine.

2. Traffic control.

3. Update response website to keep the community informed of current and future operations.

2. Low lying electrical lines.

3. Heavy equipment on steep slopes.

4. Increased pedestrian traffic.

1. Hauling waste rock & tailings to London Mine

2. Traffic control.

3. Update response website to keep the community informed of current and future operations.

4. Close out site by compling the seeding and restoration on remaining areas. 

5. Demobilize from the site.

Hauling waste rock & tailings to London Mine continuess:

12 Aug 2024: 34 Loads hauled to London Mine.

13 Aug 2024: 31 Loads hauled to London Mine.

14 Aug 2024: 32 Loads hauled to London Mine.

15 Aug 2024: 12 Loads hauled to London Mine.

109 Total loads

15 Aug 2024: Completed hauling waste and tailings to London mine. 

USCG demobilized on 16 Aug 2024.

1. Complete hauling to London Mine.

2. Complete seeding and restoration of site

3. Demobilize from site.

1. Altitude sickness.

2. Traffic control in tourist area.