Grants Mining District 5-Year Plan - Updated June 2013 - US ...

Assessment of Water Supply for Contamination
Background
Residents within the Ambrosia Lake and Laguna sub-districts primarily
rely on private wells for residential-domestic, stock-watering, and
agricultural uses. Legacy uranium mining and milling operations
generated liquid wastes that included water produced from mine
dewatering operations and process waters from milling operations.
Elevated levels of uranium and other contaminants have been
detected in ground water samples collected from monitoring wells
and private drinking water wells in the Grants Mining District. The
New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continue to assess impacts
to ground water.
Accomplishments
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has installed and sampled
ten new monitoring wells in the alluvial and San Andres bedrock
aquifers at the Anaconda Bluewater Mill site; the information
collected assists the ongoing assessment of the extent of ground
water contamination.
• EPA and NMED are continuing to collect and evaluate existing
ground water data as well as assess the need for new data within
the San Mateo Creek Basin to help determine the extent of the
contamination.
Next Steps Planned
• Develop a ground water investigation plan within the context
of a comprehensive Grants Mining District investigation.
• As part of the plan, determine what additional ground water
data are needed, if any, to define the extent of contamination.
• Perform regional mapping of contamination within the shallow
alluvium and bedrock aquifers within San Mateo Creek Basin.
Assessment and Cleanup of Legacy Uranium Mines
Background
The Grants Mining District comprises an area of 100 miles by 25 miles
where primary uranium extraction and production activities occurred
in New Mexico from the 1950s to the late 1980s. There are 97 legacy
uranium mines in the district with the potential for physical hazards
such as open adits and shafts, and for potential releases of hazardous
substances (primarily radionuclides and metals) to soil, surface water,
and ground water.
Accomplishments
Commenced field investigations at the Section 10, Section 15,
Section 30 and Marquez mines in February 2013 using the
characterization protocol developed for documenting a CERCLA
release of hazardous substances at legacy uranium mine sites.
• Under a Unilateral Administrative Order, the Potentially
Responsible Parties completed remediation work at the San
Mateo Mine, located on U.S. Forest Service land in March 2013.
Site work included:
Regrading of waste rock piles;
Stripping off surface soil within a 100-acre area contaminated
by windblown deposition and placement of the soil around
the waste rock piles to form a 24-acre on-site repository;
Construction of a 3.5-foot thick evapotranspiration soil and
vegetative cover on top of the repository to reduce windblown
transport and prevent infiltration of precipitation;
Fencing around the perimeter of the repository;
Quarterly inspections and operation and maintenance (O&M)
shall be performed at the San Mateo Mine by the Potentially
Responsible Parties for a period of five years to ensure the
effectiveness of the vegetative cover and fencing. The U.S.
Forest Service will perform yearly inspections during that
time. After five years the site will be turned over to the U.S.
Forest Service to assume future O&M responsibility.
• Initiated site evaluations of the Barbara J mine complex in the
Poison Canyon area.
• U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is reviewing a proposal by
Uranium Company of New Mexico to reclaim the Rio Puerco Mine.
The proposal includes the characterization of mine waste, soil and
ground water and the burial of mine waste on site.
• Evaluated need for ground water abatement actions or reclamation
work at mines through implementation of the New Mexico
mining and ground water discharge permitting programs.
Next Steps Planned
Complete the ongoing CERCLA-release investigations at the
Section 10, Section 15, Section 30 and Marquez mines and initiate
additional mine investigations as warranted. The investigations
will include measuring radiation levels and collecting soil and
water samples to determine impact from mining activities.
BLM and the New Mexico Abandoned Mine Lands Program will
close shafts and bore holes on the Barbara J complex of mines.
Conduct emergency action at mine sites when warranted due to
releases of hazardous substances to the environment or physical
hazards.
Continue to evaluate need for ground water abatement actions or
reclamation work at mines through implementation of the state
mining and ground water discharge permitting programs.
Contaminant Assessment, Cleanup, and Long-Term
Management of Former Uranium Milling Sites
Background
There are five legacy uranium mill sites within the Grants Mining
District. Four are located in Ambrosia Lake sub-district and one in the
Laguna sub-district. The Homestake Mill site and the Ambrosia Lake-
Rio Algom Mill site are currently under the jurisdiction of the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission until reclamation is complete. The
Homestake Mill site is also regulated by EPA under its Superfund
Program. Once reclamation at these two mill sites is complete and the
sites are decommissioned, they will be transferred to the DOE for
long-term surveillance and monitoring under its Legacy Management
Program. DOE is currently responsible for such activities at the
Ambrosia Lake-Phillips Mill site, the Anaconda Bluewater Mill site,
and the L-Bar Mill site as reclamation and decommissioning have been
completed.
Accomplishments
Installed ten new monitoring wells in the San Andres/Glorieta
aquifer and the alluvial aquifer at the Anaconda Bluewater Mill
site to delineate the extent of contamination further. The Uranium
concentrations in a point of compliance well and two additional
monitoring wells in the alluvial aquifer are elevated. The
concentration of Uranium in a ground water sample collected
from a nearby San Andres/Glorieta water production well
constructed for the Homestake Mill site is also increasing.
Uranium concentrations in the Homestake production well have
consistently exceeded the federal drinking water standard since
2005.
Initiated a search to identify all the private water wells in the area
of the Bluewater Mill site for possible sampling.
Completed the human health risk assessment (HHRA) at the
Homestake Mill site and released the draft report to the public for
review. The HHRA can be viewed on the EPA web site at: http://
epa.gov/region6/6sf/newmexico/homestake_mining/index.html
The draft ground water Corrective Action Plan for the Homestake
Mill site has been reviewed by federal and state agencies and the
public. Comments received on the Corrective Action Plan are
currently being assessed.
Next Steps Planned
Complete ground water investigations at the Anaconda
Bluewater Mill site, including installation and sampling of
additional monitoring wells, if warranted.
Complete the final HHRA Report for the Homestake Mill site.
Complete revision of the ground water Corrective Action Plan for
the Homestake Mill site based on the Remedy System Evaluation
for improving remediation efficiencies.
Assessment and Cleanup of Contaminated Structures
Background
The Grants Mining District has been inhabited since the 12 th century;
therefore, structures can date back to those early days. More recent
dwellings may be constructed of materials unearthed during mining
activities or built on or near high uranium content lands. Based on the
results of the Airborne Spectrophotometric/Environmental Collection
Technology (ASPECT) Gamma Emergency Mapper and residential
radiological survey, EPA has been surveying structures and properties
potentially affected.
Accomplishments
Assessed 548 structures/properties to date for potential gamma
and elemental uranium contamination; of those identified, 151
structures have radiation contamination above action levels.
Completed the following removal actions:
Relocated one resident near the Johnny M Mine site.
Structure demolished at the Sun Clan Road Site.
Soil removals were completed at 12 residential properties at
the Bear Canyon site in April 2012. The soil was disposed in
Clive, Utah.
Paving rocks were removed at one residence at the Hogan
Mine area in April 2012. The rocks were disposed in Clive,
Utah.
Soil removals were completed at 12 residential properties at
the Mount Taylor San Mateo Radiation Site in April 2012.
Soil removals were completed at 14 residential properties at
the Rio San Jose Radiation Site. The properties are located in
four villages on Pueblo of Laguna.
Soil removals were completed at nine residential properties
at the Oak Canyon Site and radon abatement systems were
installed in 23 homes.
A structure was replaced with a modular house at the Middle
Reservoir Road site in the Village of Paquate.
Radon abatement systems were installed at eight homes
south of the Homestake Mill site.
Next Steps Planned (as needed)
• Complete testing on all potentially affected structures.
• Continue to implement radon abatement at residences.
• Continue to clean up contaminated soil at residences.
• Continue to clean up contaminated structures.
Jackpile Mine on Laguna Pueblo
Background
The Jackpile Mine, once the world’s largest open pit uranium mine,
is located on the Pueblo of Laguna near the village of Paguate and
operated from 1953 to 1982. A Record of Decision was adopted by the
U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
in 1986 with the objective of reclaiming and stabilizing the mine site.
Accomplishments
Finalized CERCLA Site Inspection report that documents impacts to
ground water and soil.
Completed Expanded Site Inspection to further investigate the
ground water to surface water pathway at the site.
Proposed site to the EPA National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund
Sites in March 2012; final listing is anticipated in October 2013.
Next Step Planned
Negotiate with potentially responsible parties for performance of a
CERCLA remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS).
Public Health Surveillance
Background
Historical releases from legacy uranium sites throughout the Grants
Mining District are documented. Area residents requested health
screenings and studies to evaluate health impacts from uranium
mining and milling in the area.
Accomplishments
New Mexico Department of Health conducted public health
surveillance for uranium exposure. The results are documented
in the “Grants Mineral Belt Uranium Biomonitoring Project
Summary” which is posted on the New Mexico Environmental
Public Health Tracking website: https://nmtracking.unm.edu/
environ_exposure/exposure-data_biomonitor/.
New Mexico Department of Health was successful in adding
uranium exposure as a notifiable condition: uranium in urine
greater than 0.2 micrograms/liter or 0.2 micrograms/gram
creatinine. New Mexico is the only state to have uranium exposure
as a notifiable condition.
A free on-line Private Well Class is being offered to homeowners
with water wells and other stakeholders to learn the basics of
managing and protecting their water sources. The class is part of a
new nationwide technical assistance and training initiative funded
by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership through a grant by
EPA. Information about the class is posted on the New Mexico
Environmental Public Health Tracking website: http://
nmtracking.org/water/en/environ_exposure/water-qual/
private-wells/well-resources.
Other information about private wells, Uranium and health is
posted on the following New Mexico Department of Health
websites: http://nmtracking.org/water and http:/nmtracking.org/
water/en/environ-exposure/contaminants/uranium.
During National Ground Water Awareness Week in March 2013,
the New Mexico Department of Health sent mail-outs about managing
and protecting water resources to certain households known
to have private wells, including key households that are located
within the areas of concern.
Next Steps Planned
Continue to field questions from the public regarding potential sources
of exposure to uranium and how to reduce exposure.