STATUS REPORT ON INOPERA TIVE M INES

L I N D S A Y W H A L I N , M S , P G

E N G I N E E R I N G G E O L O G I S T

G R O U N D W A T E R P R O T E C T I O N D I V I S I O N

S A N F R A N C I S C O B A Y W A T E R B O A R D

M A R C H 9 , 2 0 1 6 M E E T I N G

Mine Cleanup Program

Talk Outline

Region 2 inoperative mines

Water quality impacts

Program history

New tools/data aid prioritization

Regulatory tools

Next steps

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AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON WATER QUALITY

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Mines in Region 2

Inoperative Mines in Our Region 4

Mine Water Quality Impacts

Discharges to water of:

Sediments eroded from mine site

Toxic contact-water (including acid mine drainage)

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Leona Heights Sulfur Mine

Mine Water Quality Impacts

Discharges to water of:

Sediments eroded from mine site

Toxic contact-water (including acid mine drainage)

Eroded mine site soils contaminated by processing of ore

Eroded waste rock

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Mine Water Quality Impacts

Discharges to water of:

Sediments eroded from mine site

Toxic contact-water (including acid mine drainage)

Eroded mine site soils contaminated by processing of ore

Eroded waste rock

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Leona Heights Sulfur Mine

Gambonini Mercury Mine

Mine Water Quality Impacts 8

Mine Water Quality Impacts 9

INVENTORY, PRIORITIZATION &

SUCCESSFUL CLEANUPS

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Previous Efforts

Previous Efforts 11

1990’s Mine Cleanup Program Development 196o’s USGS Mine Inventory

Prioritized by impacts to water quality

1998 Mines Report Inspected remaining mines

Prioritized by impacts to water quality

Mercury mines and those with acid mine drainage identified as highest priorities

Unable to locate some mines/features

Previous Efforts 12

2007 to present - Mercury TMDL efforts San Francisco Bay

Tomales Bay

Guadalupe River Watershed

Walker Creek, Soulajule Reservoir and Tributaries

Successful Cleanups 13

Gambonini (Marin) - mercury

La Joya (Napa) - mercury

New Almaden (Santa Clara) - mercury Mine Hill, Hacienda Furnace Yard, Jaques Gulch, Hicks Flat, San Mateo, Enriquita, San Francisco Open Cut, and Senador, plus portions of Alamitos Creek and Deep Gulch

Challenge/Stulsaft (San Mateo) - mercury

Leona (Alameda) -

Mine Cleanups In Progress 14

San Jose

NEW TOOLS AND NEW DATA IMPROVE INVENTORY AND

PRIORITIZATION

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35+ Mines Not Addressed in Previous Efforts

Basin Plan Strategy

Mine Cleanup Program

Identify all mines and mineral production sites

Prioritize sites based on existing and potential impacts to

water quality and size

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Unaddressed Inoperative Mines (that we know about)

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Mercury – 14 Manganese – 11 Coal – 3 Copper – 2

Magnesium – 2 – 1

Silver – 1 Chromium – 1

Current USGS Mineral Resources Database

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New Tools 19

Image from Icons-Land

Inspections are Laborious 20

Carrie Austin at Bella Oak

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Satellite Reconnaissance

Satellite Reconnaissance 22

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Satellite Reconnaissance

Surface Water Flow-Lines 24

Spring Flow-Path

Potential Mining Waste

Pile

Surface Water Flowpath 25

Water/Habitat Quality Databases 26

Lake Herman

Water/Habitat Quality Databases 27

Water/Habitat Quality Databases 28

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Water/Habitat Quality Databases

Prioritization Ranking System 30

Factors Affecting Water Quality

Weighted Ranking Exacerbating Factors +, ++, …

Mitigating Factors –, ––, …

Summed for total rank

Higher = Larger potential water quality threat

Early Indications are Promising

Inspection priorities changing, a bit Example - Bella Oak moved down in priority

Large distance to surface water

Other mines closer to surface waters, impaired receiving waters

Discovered mines and features (waste piles) not identified in previous efforts

Drainage pathways, receiving waters corrected

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Current Mine Inspection Priorities

Mercury Highest priorities = Hastings, St. John’s & Corda Some medium, only a few low priority

Alma (Alum) – Mine recently located

Chromium Newman – Possible immediate human health concern

(inhalation)

Acid Mine Drainage associated with hard rock Palisade - Silver Union Gulch – Copper

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After the Desktop Prioritization

Inspection

Preliminary site characterization

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Handheld XRF Analyzer, Olympus

After the Desktop Prioritization

Reprioritize mines FOR CLEANUP by identified impacts to water quality

Start cleanup process where worst water quality impacts identified

At each mine: Focus on projects that maximize water quality benefit

Implement interim measures for immediate risks and to expedite results

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New Effort Tasks 35

Collate existing sources of info/data into Excel table

Resolve discrepancies

Add additional sources of new data

Identify mines with potential to impact water quality

Prioritize by ranking according to weighted factors, water quality impacts

For inspection/preliminary characterization

For full site characterization and cleanup

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Regulatory Tools and Next Steps

Regulatory Tools Provide Flexibility

Water Code section 13267 – Require investigations

Cleanup and Abatement Order

Waste Discharge Requirements

NPDES Industrial Stormwater Permit

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Next Steps

Keep you informed

Report findings

Update Basin Plan

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to: Carrie Austin Keith Roberson Terry Seward Dyan Whyte Tamarin Austin Bruce Wolfe Sarah Acker Corie Hlavaty Kristina Yoshida Melissa Gunter Christina Toms Alyx Karpowicz Anna Torres Jamil Adler & Glenda Marsh

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“Freddie Mercury” by Pablo Bustos