UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENC .

REGION VIII

999 18th STREET - SUITE 500

DENVER, COLORADO 80202-2466

522951

Ret: EPR-SR

I. HEADING

Date:

Subject:

From:

FINAL POLLUTION REPORT

CALIFORNIA GULCH, OPERABLE UNIT IV

June 30, 1998

SDMS Document ID

323550

FILE NUMBER

DOCUMENT

California Gulch Superfund Site, Operable Unit IV,

Non-Time Critical Removal Action for the Garibaldi Mine Site Within

Upper California Gulch, September 1995.

Rebecca Thomas

Remedial Project Manager

To: Max H. Dodson

Assistant Regional Administrator

Office of Ecosystems Protection and Remediation

POLREP No.: POLREP 1 & FINAL

BACKGROUND

NPL Status:

Site No.:

Action Memorandum Status:

Category of Removal:

Start Date:

Demobilization Date:

Completion Date:

Final NPL

COD980717938

Approved August 4, 1995

Non-Time Critical

September 22, 1995 _ fl^

li- AR

CKSITE

November 22,1995 JrPOST DECISION PUBLIC DOCUMENT

D PRIVILEGED/CLAIM

D FOIA EXEMPT/CLAIM

January, 1996 D WORK PERFORMED DOCUMENT

CONTRACT * .,

FILE PLAN # ?.OY

KEYWORD «(S) /3
Ill SITE INFORMATION

The California Gulch site (Site) was listed on the National Priorities List on

September 8, 1983. The site is in a historic mining area covering 16 Vz square

miles of a watershed that drains along California Gulch to the Arkansas River.

Starting in 1859, the area was mined extensively for gold, lead, silver, copper, zinc,

and manganese. Six impounded tailings dumps surround the city of Leadville,

Colorado. Many smelters, located around the City, processed silver, lead and zinc

at various times. Heavy metal residues are present in much of the Site.

Approximately 7,400 people live in Leadville and Lake County.

Operable Unit 4 of the California Gulch Superfund Site is defined as the area

hydrologically drained by California Gulch from immediately upstream of the Yak

Portal to the headwaters of the Gulch. The area covers approximately 2.4 square

miles and contains mine waste piles, mill tailing, and fluvial tailing material.

The Non-Time Critical Removal Action for the Garibaldi Mine Site within Upper

California Gulch is described in an Action Memorandum dated August 4, 1995. The

document is entitled: Request for Removal (Response) Action at the California

Gulch Priorities List Site, Leadville, Colorado: ACTION MEMORANDUM for a PRP

Financed Removal Action at the Garibaldi Mine Site, Operable Unit 4.

IV. RESPONSE INFORMATION

A. Situation

1. Current Situation

The Removal Action began on September 22, 1995 and was completed on

November 2, 1995.

The purpose of this Removal Action was to reduce the risk to the aquatic

and terrestrial ecosystems by reducing the release of contaminated

materials from the Garibaldi Mine site. The scope of the Removal Action

included the following elements:

1.1 Construction of a portal flow collection system to capture portal flow

and divert it around the waste rock pile.

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1.2 Construction of grass-lined and concrete-lined ditches to divert runoff around the waste rock pile.

1.3 Construction of riprap outlet structure.

1.4 Construction of ditch crossing.

1.5 Construction of two interceptor trenches to collect shallow alluvial

flow and divert it around the waste rock pile.

This Removal Action is described in a report entitled: Removal Action

Completion Report for Garibaldi Mine Site Within Upper California Gulch,

Operable Unit 4, January, 1996.

2. Removal Activities - Completed

This is the first Removal Action at OU 4 of the California Gulch Site.

2.1 A Removal Action in OU 4 involving the diversion of Upper California

Gulch was performed in the fall of 1996. The action was addressed

in an Action Memorandum dated October 31, 1995. The Removal

Action has been addressed in a separate POLREP.

2.2 A Removal Action in OU 4 was performed at the Agwalt Mine in

Whites Gulch, in the fall of 1996. The action was addressed in an

Action Memorandum dated July 19, 1996. The Removal Action has

been addressed in a separate POLREP. An Action Memorandum

Amendment dated November 18, 1996 deleted the removal action

that had been planned for Waste Rock Pile UCG-92A in the

July 19, 1996 Action Memorandum.

3.0 Enforcement

Pursuant to the 1994 Consent Decree, Resurrection Mining Company

has agreed to implement response actions for the OU 4 portion of the

Site.

B. Planned Removal Activities

No other removal actions are planned.

C. Next Steps

C.1 A Final Focused Feasibility Study, Upper California Gulch,

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Operable Unit 4 was issued in January 1998. The Proposed

Plan for Upper California Gulch OU 4 was released for public

comment on January 15, 1998.

C.2 The Record of Decision for Operable Unit 4 of the Site was

issued in March, 1998. Remedial Design is scheduled for

completion on July 31, 1998. Planned start for Remedial

Action is mid-August with completion in 1999.

D. Key Issues

The Removal Action at the Upper California Gulch is part of the

overall remedial activities being undertaken in Operable Unit 4 (OU

4).

Removal alternatives to directly remediate surface water or

groundwater in the vicinity of Upper California Gulch are beyond the

scope of the Removal Action.

V. COST INFORMATION

Resurrection Mining Company is the party that has agreed to implement

response actions at OU 4 of the Site.

VI. DISPOSITION OF WASTES

No wastes were disposed of off-site.

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