U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Quivira Mines - Red Water Pond Road - Removal Polrep
Final Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IX
Subject: POLREP #3
Removal of Soil Contaminated with Radium-226 from Quivira Mine Road
Quivira Mines - Red Water Pond Road
NNSFN0905492/ QM
Coyote Canyon, NM
Latitude: 35.6660000 Longitude: -108.5025000

To:
From: Mark Ripperda
Date: 9/13/2013
Reporting Period: 6/1/2012 - 9/13/2013

1. Introduction
  1.1 Background
   
Site Number: 09QM    Contract Number:  
D.O. Number:      Action Memo Date: 8/21/2012
Response Authority: CERCLA    Response Type: PRP Oversight
Response Lead: PRP    Incident Category: Removal Action
NPL Status: Non NPL    Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date: 9/1/2012    Start Date: 9/1/2012
Demob Date: 11/15/2012    Completion Date: 4/30/2013
CERCLIS ID: NNSFN0905492    RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:    State Notification: Navajo Nation
FPN#:    Reimbursable Account #:


1.1.1 Incident Category
Time Critical Removal Action - Interim Actions

1.1.2 Site Description

The site is a closed uranium mine located within the Navajo Nation.

 

The mine sites were operated by Kerr-McGee and Quivira Mining Company.  Rio Algom Mining LLC (RAML) is responsible for conducting the removal action.  Operations included exploration and development of two underground mines.  Ore was transported to the Quivira Ambrosia Lake facility for milling approximately 43 miles southeast of CR1 and CR1E.  Production operations ceased in 1983, and all surface structures were subsequently demolished and removed.  Sediment from on-site ponds was excavated and disposed in mine shafts and ventilation raises.  Waste piles at each site were covered with a minimum of 1 foot of soil and seeded with a local seed mix recommended by BIA.

 

Under an EPA administrative order on consent (AOC), Rio Algom initiated an interim removal action to secure the two mine sites and prevent migration of contaminants off site on October 5, 2010.

 

1.1.2.1 Location

The Quivira Church Rock Mines 1 (CR1) and 1 East (CR1E) are located approximately 16 miles northeast of Gallup, New Mexico, in McKinley County.  The site is in the Church Rock Chapter of the Navajo Nation Reservation – EPA Region IX

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
The media is soil and the contaminant of concern is radium-226.  Contaminated soil at the site poses a potential risk to the nearby residents.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
The Removal Site Evaluation (RSE) shows that the Red Water Pond Road (RWPR) was constructed with mine waste rock and was contamined with concentrations of radium -226 (Ra-226) above the residential risk goal. The Red Water Pond Road is the subject of this removal action.  In addition, the RSE showed that the mine areas contain approximately 550,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil.  The contamination at the mine areas is surrounded by a fence and will be the subject of a future action.
2. Current Activities
  2.1 Operations Section
    2.1.1 Narrative

 

2.1.2 Response Actions to Date
Rio Algom, the PRP, has completed several actions at the site under an AOC with EPA.  Actions completed prior to this current action include:  Chip Sealing Red Water Pond Road, repairing the fences around the mine areas, and completing a Removal Site Evaluation.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs):  Rio Algom, Inc., is the PRP at the site.  They performed this removal action at Red Water Pond Road under a Unilateral Order.

 


2.1.4 Progress Metrics

Waste Stream Medium Quantity Manifest # Treatment Disposal
radium-226  soil  17,300 cy    placement at mine waste pile under soil cover.
   
           



  2.2 Planning Section
   

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities
Next steps at the site are to write an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) to evaluate alternatives to address the 550,000 cubic yards of mining waste within the fenced mine areas.


2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

 

2.2.1.2 Next Steps
Next steps at the site are to write an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) to evaluate alternatives to address the 550,000 cubic yards of mining waste within the fenced mine areas.

2.2.2 Issues

 
  2.3 Logistics Section
    No information available at this time.
  2.4 Finance Section
    No information available at this time.
  2.5 Other Command Staff
    No information available at this time.
3. Participating Entities
  3.1 Unified Command


3.2 Cooperating Agencies
NNEPA
BIA
NHPO
4. Personnel On Site
  No information available at this time.
5. Definition of Terms
  NNEPA - Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency
RAML - Rio Algom Mining Llp
BHPB - BHP Billiton
BIA - Bureau of Indian Affairs
NHPO - Navajo Historic Preservation Office
6. Additional sources of information
  No information available at this time.
7. Situational Reference Materials
  No information available at this time.