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National Information
Regional Information
Site Information
Site Status & Updates
Site Description
Site Risk
Cleanup Progress
Community Involvement
Site Documents
Site Photos
Additional Site Links
Contacts

National Priorities List (NPL) History
Proposed Date
4/27/2005

Final Date
9/14/2005

Superfund Program

Standard Mine in Ruby Mining District

Site Type: Final NPL site
City: Ruby Mining District
County: Gunnison
EPA ID#: CO0002378230
SITE SPILL ID NO.: 08JM
SITE ALIASES: Micawber Mine, Ruby South Mining District
Congressional District: 3

Map showing the location of Standard Mine

Site Status & Updates

Community Advisory Group (CAG) meeting
Stay tuned for information on future public meetings. Here are the minutes from the May 29, 2008 meeting PDF (7 pp, 54K, About PDF)

For minutes from previous meetings, please contact Libby Faulk, Community Involvement Coordinator for EPA, at 303-312-6083.

Site Description

The Standard Mine is located on 10 acres in the Ruby Mining District of the Gunnison National Forest approximately 30 miles north of Gunnison and 10 miles west of the Town of Crested Butte, Gunnison County, Colorado. The contaminants of concern are primarily heavy metals with samples showing elevated levels of manganese, lead, zinc, cadmium, and copper. The Standard mine releases 70 gallons per minute (gpm-high flow) and 5-20 gpm (low flow) of groundwater from the abandoned mine workings to Elk Creek depending on the season.

Elk Creek flows through the mine site, and during high flow periods, flows into the impoundment depositing heavy metals into Coal Creek which runs through Crested Butte until it meets the Slate River. The Crested Butte municipal drinking water intake is on Coal Creek. As a result, there is a potential threat to downstream water users from the Standard Mine.

The Standard mine site is located at 11,000 ft. elevation in a very remote and isolated location on the south flank of the Scarp Ridge in Elk Basin. It is only accessible in the summer by four-wheel-drive vehicles, by foot or mountain bike. The site consists of waste piles along with open and unmarked adits (horizontal) and shafts (vertical) with the following characteristics:

Silver mining activity began in the southern Ruby Mining District in 1874, and continued up to 1974 at several mine sites. Standard mine was one of the three largest producing silver mines in the area. The other two are the Keystone mine owned by Phelps Dodge and the Forest Queen mine. None of these mines is currently active except for mine water treatment at the Keystone mine. The Standard mine was called the most environmentally degraded mine site in the entire Ruby Mining District by a report from the Colorado Geological Survey.

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Site Risk

Media Affected Contaminants Source of Contamination
surface water, ground water, soil arsenic, lead, zinc, cadmium, copper and chromium Mining

Mining operations have greatly disturbed the land creating highly mineralized conditions at the site. Mineralized waste rock exposed to air and water causes acidic conditions to mobilize the release of heavy metals to the surrounding environment. These heavy metals are deposited into Elk Creek which flows into Coal Creek and eventually to downstream water users.

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Cleanup Progress

A Remedial Investigation (RI) and Feasibility Study (FS) began after the conclusion of the public comment period for the NPL listing process. A Remedial Investigation is the first step taken to characterize the site. This consists of collecting information on the physical aspects of the site such as types and location of contamination. The information is analyzed and presented in a RI Report that is used for addressing potential cleanup actions.

The next step is to prepare a Feasibility Study which is an evaluation of several alternatives for cleanup of the site contamination. The FS uses information collected by the RI as well as a risk assessment to determine the cleanup goals for the site.

In the meantime, under EPA's removal program a non-time critical process was initiated to address more immediate contamination concerns at the site. EPA, under a contract with URS Operating Services developed and made available to the public an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) for the Standard Mine. The first phase of the EE/CA discussed options for identifying an appropriate location for a repository to contain contaminants removed from the Standard Mine site. The second phase of the EE/CA focused on selection of the repository site, capping alternatives, and removal alternatives for addressing mine waste at the site, including the tailings impoundment located adjacent to Elk Creek. The work proposed in the EE/CA is near completion.

2006 To Present -- Cleanup Activities

During the 2006 construction season some of the activities that EPA accomplished were:

  • Road improvements to improve access to the site for cleanup activities.
  • Channelizing of surface water to reduce the potential for contamination of the surface water and reduce the amount of water that flows into the tailings impoundment.
  • Centralized the mining debris to facilitate removal of contaminated materials.
  • Re-channeled Elk Creek to protect Elk Creek from contaminated soils at the mill site and to keep Elk Creek water form eroding and transporting contaminated soils and materials during the cleanup.

    In December, 2006 EPA made available for public comment the first phase of the Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) that discussed proposed options for the location of a repository site. A repository site is a central place where hazardous materials removed from the Standard Mine can be permanently stored and maintained to ensure that recontamination does not occur. The second phase of the EE/CA covering the repository design was available for public comment in May 2007. EPA's response to comments received and attachments can be found under the Site Document section below.

    During the 2007 construction season, EPA built a mine waste repository to permanently contain waste rock and tailings which were removed to the repository later in the 2007 construction season. By the end of the construction season, EPA removed approximately 50,000 cub yards of waste material, which included full removal of the tailings impoundment. EPA also installed a passive treatment pilot scale bioreactor to determine if this type of passive water treatment is effective at the mine's high elevation and cold winter climate. In addition, EPA initiated a revegatation pilot study to help determine successful methods for establishing vegetation within the excavated areas and to support reclamation efforts to be implemented at a later time. For more specific information please see the Standard Mine Fact Sheet dated December 2007 in the Site Documents section.

    During the 2008 construction season, EPA accomplished the following cleanup activities:

  • Installation of sediment controls along Elk Creek to reduce the risk of sediment flowing into the creek.
  • Excavation and hauling of contaminated soil to the repository.
  • Screening of soil taken from a borrow area to be used for cap the repository and future revegetation activities.
  • Application of compost, lime, fertilizer, and top soil were added to upper mine levels where clean soil was taken to amend the soil for vegetation.
  • Restoration and realignment of Elk Creek.
  • Completion of the repository, including the installation of draining ditches around the perimeter.
  • Revegetation of areas impacted by cleanup activities.
  • Continued monitoring of the passive treatment pilot scale bioreactor resumed for the summer.

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    Community Involvement

    Community Involvement Plan

    According to the National Contingency Plan (NCP) 40 CFR 300.430(c)(2)(ii), a Community Involvement Plan is required as part of any remedial action at a Superfund site. A CIP specifies the outreach activities that EPA will undertake to address community concerns and expectations. EPA has finalized the Standard Mine Community Involvement Plan. The final plan is available on this website and included in the information repository located at the Crested Butte Library. The CIP is located under the Site Document section below.

    Community Advisory Group

    A Community Advisory Group (CAG) has been organized for the Standard Mine Site cleanup. Participants include EPA, CDPHE, the Forest Service, local government and citizens, however the meetings remain open to any citizen who would like volunteer or simply come to observe. Information concerning the topics of discussion and the agenda can be found in the Notes. The meetings will be advertised in the Crested Butte News one week in advance. The name of the CAG for Standard Mine is the Standard Mine Advisory Group (SMAG).

    EPA provides Technical Assistance Grants (TAG) to communities to help citizens understand site-related information. A TAG can be used to hire a technical advisor to explain to the community technical information related to the cleanup and help articulate the community's concerns. In 2006, community members in Crested Butte applied for and were awarded a Technical Assistance Grant through the EPA. The group that received the grant is called the Standard Mine Technical Advisory Group (SMTAG).

    If you have any questions about the SMAG or the SMTAG or would like to be added to either email list, please contact Libby Faulk, Community Involvement Coordinator, at 1 (800) 227-8917 ext. 6083 or email faulk.libby@epa.gov.

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    Site Documents

    You will need the free Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

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    Contacts

    Christina Progess
    Remedial Project Manager
    U.S. EPA Region 8 (EPR-SR)
    1595 Wynkoop Street
    Denver, CO 80202-1129
    303 312-6009 or
    1 (800) 227-8917 ext. 6009
    progess.christina@epa.gov

    Libby Faulk
    Community Involvement Coordinator
    U.S. EPA, Region 8 (8OC)
    1595 Wynkoop Street
    Denver, Colorado 80202-1129
    Office: 303-312-6083 or
    1-800-227-8917 ext. 6083
    faulk.libby@epa.gov

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