An EPA remedial project manager noted seepage from mine waste-rock and tailing piles flowing into the Eagle River near the towns of Minturn and Redcliff, CO. Long-abandoned mine sites above the river were leaching heavy metals into the river.
The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety was tasked with sampling the site to identify and potentially quantify heavy metal loading sources. On May 2, 2013, Colorado DRMS sampled one tributary and six river locations and analyzed for heavy metals of concern including arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.
Region 8 Emergency Response provided site assessment and support. The Colorado Department of Transportation rerouted runoff from the former mining sites, diverting the flow along Hwy. 24
