ABANDONED MINE LANDS INITIATIVE

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ABANDONED MINELANDS INITIATIVE
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Purpose of todays presentation

• Share USGS research on national, state,
  watershed, mine, waste rock, tailings and
  biological topics
• Provide perspective and a WISH LIST
• Describe opportunities for ORD and Regions

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USGS AML Initiative(Animas CO and Boulder MT)

• Provide scientific information to FLMAs to make
  decisions
• Develop multidisciplinary approach for geologic,
  geochemical, hydrologic and eco.
• Transfer technologies developed and demonstrate
  their suitablity
• Establish working relationship with all
  stakeholders www.usgs.gov/amli

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WISH LIST

• Map of TMDL (303 d) mining watersheds

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Animas River Watershed
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Church,et al (1997)
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Upper Animas
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Upper Animas - Silverton
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Animas River Stakeholders Group

• Identify sources of environmental problems
  
  
• Determine relative contributions of metals from
  these sources
• Improve water quality where and when possible

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Water Quality at Point of Compliance
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Pre-mining Natural-Background

• AVRIS
• Paired watersheds (with/without mining)
• Fluvial sediments / trench through Eureka
• Natural springs?
• Isotope chemistry

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Sediment and Colloidal Sampling

• Pre- to post- mining bed sediments arsenic
  2X-6X cadmium 4X-10X lead 2X-10X
  zinc 2X-15X
• Metals sorbing to Fe colloids

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Toxicity TestsSusan Finger, Del Nimo John
Besser

• 48 and 96-hr lethality on daphnids, minnows, and
  trout
• Stream sediment 10-day tests similar results to
  water phase

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Dissolved Iron
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Dissolved Zinc or Copper
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Boulder Creek

• David Nimick
• R.L. Milhouse
• A.M. Farag, D.F. Woodward, Dan Skaar W.G.
  Brumbaugh

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Tracer StudiesB.A. Kimball USGS

• Tracers were injected into Cement Creek during
  low flow in September 1996
• Discharge was measured by injecting tracers at
  constant rates and measuring the dilution
• Eight principal sources of metals loading to the
  mainstem were identified

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Upper Animas
Cement Creek
Upper Animas
Mineral Creek
Silverton
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Cement Creek
North Fork
Prospect Gulch
Sunnyside/American Tunnel
Minnesota Gulch
Porcupine Gulch
Topeka Gulch
SILVERTON
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Animas - Cement Creek
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North Fork Cement Creek Adit Loading
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Cement Creek
North Fork
Prospect Gulch
Sunnyside/American Tunnel
Minnesota Gulch
Porcupine Gulch
High Zn
High Cu
Topeka Gulch
SILVERTON
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Prospect Gulch

• Tracer study caught a storm event
• Used transport code OTIS to simulate ambient -
  remediation
• Only a 13 decrease at the mouth of Cement Creek

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Cu Zn
Grand Mogul
Cu Zn
Mogul
Queen Ann
Cu Zn
Cu Zn
Red Bonita
High Metal Load Med. High Medium
Lower
Upper Cement Creek Drainage
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Mogul Adit
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Cement Metals Loads -
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Waste Rock
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Waste Rock

• Tools for rapid screening of waste dumps -
  Kathy Smith and the Dumpsters
• Tailings characterization
  Stan Church

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WISH LIST

• Map of TMDL (303 d) mining watersheds
• ORD participate in the Acid Drainage Technology
  Initiative

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Remediation Keep water away from waste and waste
away from water
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Treatability Feasiblity
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WISH LIST

• Map of TMDL (303 d) mining watersheds
• ORD participate in the Acid Drainage Technology
  Initiative
• Develop new, low cost methods for prevention of
  acid mine drainage

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Community - Based Decisionmaking