SUPERFUND
Cleaning Up New England
SITE UPDATE
Ely Copper Mine Superfund Site Vershire, VT
U.S. EPA | HAZARDOUS WASTE PROGRAM AT EPA NEW ENGLAND
THE SUPERFUND PROGRAM protects human health
and the environment by investigating and cleaning up often-abandoned
hazardous waste sites and engaging communities throughout the process.
Many of these sites are complex and need long-term cleanup actions.
Those responsible for contamination are held liable for cleanup costs.
EPA strives to return previously contaminated land and groundwater
to productive use.
SITE DESCRIPTION:
The Ely Copper Mine Superfund Site ("the Site") is located on the south side of Dwight Hill in the Town of
Vershire, Vermont. Ely Mine lies between the Elizabeth and Pike Hill Mines and, as part of that mining district,
is considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
MAJOR REPORT FINDINGS
Five reports are nearing completion for this Site: the Re-
medial Investigation Report (Rl); the Human Health Risk
Assessment; the Aquatic Ecological Risk Assessment; the
Terrestrial Ecological Risk Assessment and the Feasibility
Study (FS). These reports identify the contaminants of
concern at the Site, as well as current and future poten-
tial threats to human health and the environment. These
reports will provide the information needed for EPA's
proposed cleanup plan for the Site. The preliminary find-
ings are discussed below.
WASTE SOURCE AREAS
The Rl identified several different waste source areas at
the Site. (Figure 1) The type of waste contained in these
areas is described below:
1. Lower Waste Area and Upper Waste Area-
sulfide ore-bearing rock that did not contain
enough copper to process and non-sulfide
rock from the surrounding bedrock that was
removed to create mine openings.
2. Tailings Area- tailings (finely-ground sulfide ore)
that were left behind from copper extraction
processes at the Site floatation mill.
PUBLIC MEETING
You are invited to attend a Public Information
Meeting to learn about upcoming cleanup work
at the Ely Mine Superfund Site in Vershire, VT.
Representatives from the EPA and the Vermont
Department of Environmental Conservation will be
available to answer any questions.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2011 AT 7 PM
Vershire Town Center Building
27 Vershire Center Rd. - Vershire, VT
3. Ore Roast Bed-waste rock from ore roasting,
a process that makes it easier to remove the
copper from the rock.
4. Smelter/Slag Area- waste rock, oxidized ore,
slag and building demolition debris, most of
which are associated with on-site smelting
operations.
5. Underground Mine Workings-contaminated
groundwater and leachate (water that passed
through contaminated soil and now contains
some of the contaminants) can fill under-
continued >
KEY CONTACTS:
ED HATHAWAY
U.S. EPA
Project Manager
(617) 918-1372
hathaway.ed@epa.gov
PAMELA HARTING-BARRAT
U.S. EPA Community
Involvement Coordinator
(617) 918-1318
harting-barrat.pamela@epa.gov
GENERAL INFO:
EPA NEW ENGLAND
5 Post Office Sq.,
Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109-3912
TOLL-FREE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
1-888-EPA-7341
LEARN MORE AT:
www.epa.gov/ne/
superfund/sites/ely
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
> printed on 100% recycled paper, with a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste, using vegetable-based inks
May 2011
SDMS DocID 485662
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Legend
^^— Stream
Areas of Ecological Impairment
Areas of Aquatic
Ecological
Impairment
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Legend
Vernal Pool
Smoke Flue
Treeline
:= Gravel Road
- Trail
- Stream
1-1 Former Tramway
J Area of Soil Impacts
_J Area of Groundwater Impacts
Lower Waste Area
Ore Roast Bed
Tailings Area
Upper Waste Area
Smelter/Slag Area
Underground Mine Workings
Waste Areas &
Extent of Soil and
Groundwater Impacts
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ground mine tunnels and shafts, some of
which eventually drain to Ely Brook.
Sulfide-containing mine wastes at the Site are
releasing low-pH leachate with high levels of
several metals (particularly aluminum, cadmium,
cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc) into the
surface water and groundwater. This is a process
commonly referred to as acid rock drainage.
HUMAN HEALTH RISKS
The Human Health Risk Assessment estimated
potential current and future human health risks
from any contamination in the soil, groundwater,
sediment, and surface water at the Site. The major
findings are as follows:
• Contact with the soil, sediment, and
surface water during recreational
activities (ATV-riding, wading, etc.) did
not represent an unacceptable risk to
human health.
• Soils with high levels of cobalt, copper
and iron (shown in Figure 2) may be
harmful to someone that lives on or
near the Site and comes into contact
with them more than 350 days per
year.
• Inhaled manganese and aluminum dust
may be harmful to someone that works
in the waste material for more than 60
days per year, though concentrations
are not significantly different from what
is naturally found in that area.
• Groundwater with high levels of alumi-
num, cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron and
manganese (shown in Figure 1) is not
acceptable for drinking.
ECOLOGICAL RISKS
Ecological risk assessments determined the likeli-
hood, nature, and severity of harmful effects to
aquatic (US EPA, 2008) and terrestrial (Nobis,
2010) habitats as a result of contaminants at the
Site. Impacted surface water areas are shown in
Figure 1. The major findings are as follows:
• Acid rock drainage has caused a severe
risk for the benthic and fish communi-
ties in Ely Brook and Schoolhouse
Brook, significant portions of which fail
Vermont Water Quality Standards.
• Eroded mine waste in the sediment of
Schoolhouse Brook and the East Branch
of the Ompompanoosuc is harmful to
benthic organisms (organisms that live
in or just above the sediment). Copper
concentrations in the water may also
be harmful to insectivorous birds (tree
swallows) and insectivorous mammals
(bats).
• There is a severe risk to amphibians
in the two lowermost beaver ponds
(Ponds 4 and 5). Pond 5 also showed a
severe risk to benthic and water-column
invertebrates.
• High levels of cadmium and copper in
a vernal pool in the Slag and Smelter
Area may be harmful to the aquatic
communities and amphibians.
• High levels of copper and zinc might
be harmful to plants and organisms in
the soil.
CLEANUP OPTIONS
EPA is currently considering implementing a
cleanup action in phases or "Operable Units." This
enables cleanup to move forward in some areas
of the Site while allowing more time to better
understand other areas of the Site. The Feasibility
Study presents cleanup options that will address
human health and ecological risks for the first
Operable Unit at the Site. These options are
evaluated based on how well they meet cleanup
goals and whether they comply with federal and
state regulations.
NEXT STEPS
The proposed cleanup plan will be presented to
the community in June or July 2011. The plan will
summarize key information from the five reports
discussed above, as well as identify EPAs preferred
cleanup alternative for the Site.
EPA wants to hear from you before making a final
decision on how to protect your community, so
you will have a period of 30 days after the plan
is issued to let us know if you have any concerns
or preferences regarding the proposed cleanup
alternative. EPA is assembling the 5 reports
discussed in this factsheet and other supporting
documentation into an Administrative Record that
will be available for review at the Vershire Town
Office and EPA Record Center in Boston prior to
the start of the public comment period. You don't
have to be a technical expert to comment. Com-
ments can be sent by mail, e-mail, or fax. People
also can offer oral or written comments at the for-
mal public hearing (look at the plan for the date).
If you have any questions about the cleanup action,
please contact the EPA Project Manager, Edward
Hathaway or the EPA Community Involvement
Coordinator, Pam Harting-Barrat (see front).
&ER&
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Environmental Protection
Agency
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Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109-3912
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SUPERFUND
Important update
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