On behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8, I am pleased to announce the completion of the Removal Action at the North Star Mill Tailings Site approximately 1/2 mile northeast of Ophir.  Due to schedule conflicts I am unable to personally attend the Ophir General Assembly Meeting on Tuesday, October 20, 2009, but I did want to convey my sincere gratitude to the citizens of Ophir for your support, involvement, and patience throughout this process.  Thank you for granting EPA permission to place our office trailer within town boundaries during the Removal Action, for your patience during the heavy equipment operations along Ophir Pass Road on the east side of town, and for your active involvement in efforts furthering the protection of human health and the environment throughout the Ophir Valley. 

Allow me to briefly summarize the efforts to date.  The reclamation work at the North Star Mill Tailings Site began on August 19, 2009 and was completed on September 26, 2009.  During the work, EPA and its contractors excavated and consolidated over 4,500 cubic yards of contaminated tailings and waste rock into a single repository cell on the property.  Prior to the Removal Action, these materials existed at varying depths throughout more than two acres of the former mill claim as a result of the ore processing operations at the historic North Star Mill in the 1920s and 1930s.  Throughout the work at the site, EPA found extremely high concentrations of lead and arsenic, along with lower concentrations of other heavy metals, in the contaminated tailings and waste rock; all of which were moved into the one-third acre repository.^[1] 

The lead and arsenic present at the site were the primary contaminants of concern and both are considered hazardous substances in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA).  Given the land use and vulnerabilities associated with young children living directly adjacent to the exposed tailings, a Time-Critical Removal Action was conducted.  The constructed remedy is designed to eliminate the hazards associated with the heavy metals at the site and the repository is built using the best engineering practices, including engineered drainage channels, an 18”-24” soil cover, a vegetated cap, and biodegradable erosion control matting throughout.  This remedy will significantly reduce surface water infiltration into tailings, eliminate the risks associated with heavy metals transport due to erosion and leaching, and remove the inhalation and ingestion exposure pathways to nearby residents and visitors to the area. 

The residential clean-up standards for both contaminants at the site, which were developed jointly by toxicologists from the EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), have been applied at this reclamation and have been achieved throughout the site.^[2]  This means that the property is now safe for both permanent residents and for any recreational users who may frequent the area.  However, please keep in mind that the disturbed areas of the site have been graded, seeded, fertilized, and covered with a biodegradable erosion control matting to facilitate revegetation in the spring.  As such, these areas should be avoided for best long-term results.  EPA will return next year to ensure adequate revegetation progress at the site and to observe the USFS reclamation efforts at the nearby Carbonero Tailings/Ferric Oxide Site.       

ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD AND MORE INFORMATION

A Public Notice to announce the availability of the Administrative Record (AR) for the Site will be published in the Telluride Daily Planet this week.  To view and comment on the electronic version of the Administrative Record between October 20, 2009, and November 20, 2009, please inquire with Town Manager Jason Wells at the Ophir Town Hall (970-728-4943).  Included in the Administrative Record are all documents and data EPA used to come to the decision about conducting the Removal Action, including the USFS plans for the work to be completed at the Carbonero Tailings/Ferric Oxide Site, which is currently scheduled to begin next summer.  As always, please feel free to visit the EPA website established to document the progress at this Removal Action at www.epaosc.net/NorthStarMill for additional information.

^[1] – Contaminated Tailings and Waste Rock Concentration Ranges: Lead 2,200-148,000 parts per million (ppm); Arsenic 45-8400 ppm.  See AR for associated sample nomenclature, analytical laboratory data, and spatial information.

^[2] – Residential Clean-Up Levels: Lead <400 ppm; Arsenic <40 ppm.  See AR and www.epaosc.net/NorthStarMill for more information.