This time-critical Removal action involves the excavation and disposal of a lead and zinc contaminated tailings pile on the former Tomichi Mill property and adjacent historic tailings pond on lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), adjacent to Tomichi Creek; the construction of engineered repositories at the Akron Mine and Mill USFS property; the excavation of contaminated soils from lots in the town of Whitepine and the road right of way; the removal or covering of waste rock from piles northwest of Whitepine; and the excavation and removal of tailings from the Mile Marker 8 tailings area. The excavated materials will be transported for disposal to the USFS Akron Mine and Mill south pile repository. Conditions existing at the site present a threat to public health and the environment and meet the criteria for initiating a Removal action under 40 CFR 300.415(b)(2) of the National Contingency Plan (NCP).
Because the site includes both private and USFS-managed lands, this Removal action is a coordinated action between the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USFS. EPA will be the lead agency for portions of the Removal action that occur primarily on private lands and the USFS will be lead agency on National Forest System (NFS) managed lands.
