Learning to develop, innovate, live and work in Anaconda's superfund.

arrowhead foundation

BRIEF HISTORY OF SUPERFUNDIn this second newsletter the Arrowhead Foundation will focus its attention on the Anaconda Regional Water, Waste and Soils Opera-ble Unit and the first 7 of 15 Remedial Design Units (RDUs) giving a description of remediation taken or taking place. For an overall view of where each RDU is located please refer to the map.

Action Levels & ContaminantsThe allowable amount of contaminated materials that can be in any given area of soil is defined in the Record of Decision of its Superfund Site. In Anaconda, the action level or the amount of Arsenic in the ground that triggers removal or remediation to take place is based on a few factors. One defines the amount of contami-nants allowed for safe human use by whether the land is used for recreational, residential, or industrial purposes. The first category, recreational / open space/ or agricultrual land referred to as “Open Space” from here on allows 1000 milligrams of Arsenic per kilo-gram of soil. The second category “Residential” which is land to be used for houses, yards, gardens, and playgrounds etc... allows 250 milligrams of Arsenic per kilogram of soil. Finally the industrial soil level is 500 milligrams of Arsenic per kilogram of soil. The major contaminant in the area from the fallout of the smelter is Arsenic.

1. Stucky RidgeThe Stucky Ridge RDU is divided into four areas. Concerns identi-fied for the Stucky Ridge RDU that are relevant to Remedial Action include: Elevated Arsenic concentrations in surface soils above the open space and residential land use action levels.

Actions to be employed at Stucky Ridge include: remediation of contaminated soils; installation of surface water controls, Institu-tional Controls (defined in coming edition), and monitoring. The final design for revegetation will include improving the soil’s pH, application of a seed mixture of grasses and forbs species or the planting of trees and shrubs consistent with the surrounding area.

2. Lost CreekLost Creek is located north of Anaconda and north of Lost Creek. Galen Road forms the eastern boundary and Lost Creek Road forms the southern boundary.

Remedies include providing a permanent vegetative cover over contaminated soil material to: 1) prevent direct contact with Arsenic thus reducing human and wildlife exposure to Arsenic, 2) minimize transport of conaminants to ground water, reduce surface water erosion and contamination movement to surface water; 3) minimize wind erosion and movement of contaminants onto adjacent lands; 4) reduce surface contaminant levels to allow re-establishment of vegetation, a wildlife habitat, and reduce risk to upland wildlife; 5) remediate contaminated soils based on existing and anticipated future land use.

3. Smelter Hill UplandsSmelter Hill Uplands is located south and west of Anaconda and northwest of Mill Creek Road. This RDU has mixed land use, a por-tion of which is residential and the remainder is open space land.

Remedies include providing a permanent vegetative cover over contaminated soil material to: 1) prevent direct contact with Arsenic thus reducing human and wildlife exposure to Arsenic, 2) minimize transport of conaminants to ground water, reduce surface water erosion and contamination movement to surface water; 3) minimize wind erosion and movement of contaminants onto adjacent lands; 4) reduce surface contaminant levels to allow re-establishment of vegetation, a wildlife habitat, and reduce risk to upland wildlife; 5) remediate contaminated soils based on existing and anticipated future land use.

Smelter Hill Uplands Revegetation Design includes approximately 3,354 acres of land of which roughly half requires remediation while the remaining areas are covered by facilities or are well veg-etated and may only need monitoring and or weed spraying.

4. Anaconda PondsThe Anaconda Ponds is part of the Smelter Hill Waste Management Area and is located just east of the Slag Pile. This area is one of three designated in September 1998, based on the U.S. Environmen-tal Protection Agency and Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s decision that removal of wastes within and restoration of ground water beneath the Waste Management Area boundary is impractical and cost prohibitive; therefore, waste material will be contained and stabilized in place and contaminated ground water material will not be remediated.

The proposed remedies will include: 1)construction of ponds to stabilize and contain contaminants (completed). 2)consolidation of waste material located inside the RDU to the Anaconda Ponds. 3)remediation of all land in the RDU that is not part of the ponds will be remediated to insure soils meet mine closure requirements.

These ponds can also be used to house waste from other areas and RDU’s in the site to create more usable land in other areas.

5. Railroad/Blue LagoonThe Active Railroad/Blue Lagoon’s boundary is located within certain sections of the Rarus Railway line extending from the east end of East Anaconda Yards to Fairmont Road. The railroad line

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15 - Mount Haggin

3 - Smelter Hill Uplands

1 - Stucky Ridge

8 - R.D.U.#8-Opportunity Ponds

WG - West Galen Expansion

9 - Fluvial Tailings

2 - Lost Creek

6 - South Opportunity Uplands

14 - Smelter Hill Facilities

4 - Anaconda Ponds

7 - North Opportunity Uplands

13 - Old Works WMA

12 - Slag

5 - Blue Lagoon/Active Railroad

10 - Warm Springs Creek

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Township 5NRange 10W

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Township 6NRange 10W

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LegendRemedial Design Unit

Anaconda Ponds

Blue Lagoon/Active Railroad

Fluvial Tailings

Lost Creek

Mount Haggin

North Opportunity Uplands

Old Works WMA

R.D.U.#8-Opportunity Ponds

Slag

Smelter Hill Facilities

Smelter Hill Uplands

South Opportunity Uplands

Stucky Ridge

Warm Springs Creek

West Galen Expansion

OwnershipUS Bureau of Land Management

US Bureau of Reclamation

US Fish and Wildlife Service

National Park Service

US Forest Service

US Dept of Agriculture

US Army Corps of Engineers

US Dept of Defense

State Land

Local Government

Bureau of Indian Affairs Trust

Private Land

Plum Creek Timber lands

Private Conservation lands

Water

0 0.7 1.4 2.1 2.80.35

Miles

Anaconda Deer Lodge County

Remedial Design Units

FIGURE 1ADLC_RDUs.mxd

Jeff LeProwse

3/13/2008

ADLCM03

includes stream crossings on Mill Creek and Willow Creek. Also included in RDU 5 east is a portion of Yellow Ditch on both sides of the Blue Lagoon, the Blue Lagoon outwash and other upland areas.

Three small surface water ponding areas designated as the Blue La-goon, the Son of Blue Lagoon and Mill Creek Flood Irrigation Area are associated with this area. The Blue Lagoon is located at the in-tersection of the railroad grade and the South Fork of Willow Creek. The Son of Blue Lagoon is located approximately 0.75 miles south of the Blue Lagoon. The mill Creek Flood Irrigation Area is located just west of the Willow Creek trestle along the Active Railroad line. The east boundary also includes the East Anaconda Yards, the West Anaconda Yards, the mainline between the Yards, and the West Val-ley line from the West Anaconda Yards to North Cable Road.

Remediation including rail line removal has been completed in the West Valley. Dependent upon the future uses of the rail line defined by the owner the current plan is to remove the entire rail and reme-diate the contaminated soil. Materials from all other areas of the RDU will be consolidated into the Opportunity Ponds and a protec-tive vegetative cover as described in RDU 1 will be placed.

6. South OpportunitySouth Opportunity Uplands is located southeast of Anaconda, southwest of the town of Opportunity and east of Mill Creek Road. This RDU is generally characterized by gentle slopes, impacted vegetation and multiple landowners. The land use within the Upland revegetation area is primarily agricultural grazing, recreational and residential.

Areas in this RDU that are slated for residential land use and the corresponding action level are addressed in the Community Soils Operable Unit and will not be covered in this RDU’s remediation plan.

The remediation in the South Opportunity Uplands is based on a soil revegetation plan and includes approximately 956 acres of which 690 acres require remedial action while the remaining 266 should require only monitoring and weed spraying. About 11 acres of RDU 6 were previously remediated as part of the Old Works project.

There are several areas which have highly impacted soils that require removal/consolidation including an old trolley line, and his-toric railroad spurs. The highly impacted soil will be removed (the railroad bed plus and additional 6-inches of soil) and consolidated in the Opportunity Ponds.

7. North OpportunityThe North Opportunity RDU is located northeast of Anaconda, north of the community of Opportunity, and west of the commu-nity of Galen. RDU 7 was historically, and continues to be used for agricultural grazing, recreation and open space/wildlife habitat with small areas of gravel mining and crushing and the airport.

Areas in this RDU that are slated for residential land use and the corresponding action level are addressed in the Community Soils Operable Unit and will not be covered in this RDU’s remediation plan.

In most cases, for this RDU, Remedial Action Objectives for impacted soils will be met through the reduction of Arsenic levels and / or the reestablishment or improvement of vegetation which may include tilling, vegetation enhancement and natural recovery. A portion of the area between the runways at the ADLC airport has surface Arsenic concentrations above the open space/recreational use levels. In agreement with Agencies and ADLC, the portion of the airport which is not within certain boundaries shall be desig-nated a Facility and addressed in an Individual Site Work Plan.

Stucky RidgeLost CreekSmelter Hill UplandsAnaconda PondsRail Road / Blue LagoonSouth Opportunity North Opportunity