Forest Service plans summertime cleanup of Rainy Mine
Published on Thu, Dec 18, 2008Read More Local News
The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest will begin cleanup of hazardous waste at Rainy Mine and Mill site next summer, located about 12 miles northeast of North Bend, WA.
A June, 2008, Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EECA) report by Forest Service contractor MSE determined that significant potential risk to both humans and the environment exists from exposure to high concentrations of hazardous substances, particularly arsenic, found in the mine waste, soil, sediment and water. Arsenic and other hazardous metals occur naturally in the ores and rock mined at the site.
The Rainy Mine cleanup will be done under the provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). This project is a part of a regional effort to address impacts caused by abandoned and inactive mine sites on national forest lands. Washington State identified 250 potentially hazardous sites out of 2,200 abandoned sites within National Forest boundaries. Cleanup efforts have focused on the worst sites and those in key fisheries watersheds. Under CERCLA, the Forest Service seeks out past mine operators to pay for cleanup. The Rainy Mine and Mill were most active during the 1950s, producing 2,000 tons of copper and silver ore, with the 50-ton-per-day mill added in 1951.
The proposed cleanup project consists of three phases. The first phase would upgrade the existing access road to accommodate equipment and facilitate long-term inspection and maintenance. The next phase would excavate approximately 2,200 cubic yards of contaminated waste rock, soil and sediment, and move and consolidate it in a covered repository. The next phase caps the repository cover and surrounding areas with soil and prevents further contamination by building diversionary channels, promoting runoff and landscaping.
The public can review the EECA report at the North Bend Public Library and the Snoqualmie Ranger District office in North Bend, WA. The EECA report and other documents in the Administrative Record File are also available online at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/cercla-hazmat-cleanup-projects/index.shtml.
Interested individuals and entities may provide comments on the Rainy Mine and Mill Site EECA report and the proposed cleanup alternative until January 11, 2009. Written comments can be mailed to: Y. Robert Iwamoto, Forest Supervisor, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 2930 Wetmore Ave. Suite 3A, Everett, Washington 98201. E-mail comments can be sent to: Miki Fujikawa, Realty Specialist, at mfujikawa@fs.fed.us.
A June, 2008, Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EECA) report by Forest Service contractor MSE determined that significant potential risk to both humans and the environment exists from exposure to high concentrations of hazardous substances, particularly arsenic, found in the mine waste, soil, sediment and water. Arsenic and other hazardous metals occur naturally in the ores and rock mined at the site.
The Rainy Mine cleanup will be done under the provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). This project is a part of a regional effort to address impacts caused by abandoned and inactive mine sites on national forest lands. Washington State identified 250 potentially hazardous sites out of 2,200 abandoned sites within National Forest boundaries. Cleanup efforts have focused on the worst sites and those in key fisheries watersheds. Under CERCLA, the Forest Service seeks out past mine operators to pay for cleanup. The Rainy Mine and Mill were most active during the 1950s, producing 2,000 tons of copper and silver ore, with the 50-ton-per-day mill added in 1951.
The proposed cleanup project consists of three phases. The first phase would upgrade the existing access road to accommodate equipment and facilitate long-term inspection and maintenance. The next phase would excavate approximately 2,200 cubic yards of contaminated waste rock, soil and sediment, and move and consolidate it in a covered repository. The next phase caps the repository cover and surrounding areas with soil and prevents further contamination by building diversionary channels, promoting runoff and landscaping.
The public can review the EECA report at the North Bend Public Library and the Snoqualmie Ranger District office in North Bend, WA. The EECA report and other documents in the Administrative Record File are also available online at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/cercla-hazmat-cleanup-projects/index.shtml.
Interested individuals and entities may provide comments on the Rainy Mine and Mill Site EECA report and the proposed cleanup alternative until January 11, 2009. Written comments can be mailed to: Y. Robert Iwamoto, Forest Supervisor, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 2930 Wetmore Ave. Suite 3A, Everett, Washington 98201. E-mail comments can be sent to: Miki Fujikawa, Realty Specialist, at mfujikawa@fs.fed.us.
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