The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is seeking comments on alternatives for
cleaning up part of the Talache Tailings site.
These cleanup alternatives are for the upper
and lower tailings piles at the site. Another
area called the "depositional area" will be the
subject of a separate cleanup action at a later
date.

EPA will hold a meeting to discuss the alterna-
tives if sufficient interest is expressed by the
public. If you are interested in a public meet-
ing contact Fran Allans at 208/378-5775, Jean
Baker at 206/553-2587, or toll-free at 800/424-
4372 by May 24.

EPA will select a cleanup alternative after
reviewing and considering comments received
during the public comment period. A written
response to significant comments will be
prepared and made available to the public in
the information repository.

The Engineering Evaluation/Cost
Analysis (EE/CA)

Descriptions of the various alternatives for
how to clean up the two tailings piles are
contained in a document called an EE/CA in
which the effectiveness, implementability, and
cost of each potential cleanup alternative is
analyzed. The object of the cleanup is to
prevent potential health effects by preventing
people from being exposed to arsenic by
direct contact and incidental ingestion from
surface soil and tailings. In addition, the
cleanup will reduce risks from chemicals in
tailings and soil for plants and animals; and
prevent releases to the environment including
wetlands and waters that support fish and
other aquatic life.

COMMENT PERIOD

You are encouraged to comment on the
cleanup alternatives in writing during the
public comment period from May 17, to June
16, 1999. Comments should be sent to:

Fran Allans, Project Manager

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Idaho Operations Office

1435 North Orchard Street

Boise, Idaho 83706

The Five Alternatives

Alternative 1 is the no action alternative. This
alternative is included only as a basis for com-
parison. Cost would be approximately $231,000
for 30 years of monitoring.

Alternative 2, EPA's preferred alternative,
consists of stabilizing the piles in-place by

buttressing the exterior slopes of the
upper andlower tailings piles, regrading the
upper and lower tailings surfaces, placing a soil
cover, revegetating, and controlling water
running onto and off the piles with diversion
ditches. Estimated capital and operational costs
$2,488,000.

Alternative 3 consists of stabilizing the lower
pile by constructing a new containment buttress/
dike, relocating/regrading a majority of the
tailings from the upper pile to the lower pile
behind the new dike, placing a soil cover over
the entire area, revegetating, and controlling
water running onto and off the piles with diver-
sion ditches. Estimated capital and operational
costs $4,023,000.


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TALACHE TAILINGS SITE

MAY 1999

Alternative 4 consists of consolidating and
stabilizing the piles by moving the lower tailings
pile to the upper tailings pile, using the sandy
portion of the lower tailings material to buttress
the upper tailings pile, placing a soil cover,
revegetating, and controlling water running onto
and off the piles with diversion ditches. Esti-
mated capital and operational costs $3,242,000.

Alternative 5 involves constructing a repository,
transporting and placing the tailings from the
upper and lower tailings piles within the reposi-
tory, placing a soil cover, revegetating, and
reclaiming the existing tailings piles site. Esti-
mated capital and operational costs $9,314,000.

Alternatives 2,3, and 4 may require treatment of
water from seeps at the tailings piles if further
investigations indicate that treatment is neces-
sary. If treatment is considered necessary,
seep water would be treated with a passive
aeration system. In addition, institutional con-
trols to ensure long-term protectiveness is a
common element to alternatives 2,3,4, and 5.

The Preferred Alternative

Alternative 2, buttressing the lower and upper
tailings piles in-place, regrading, soil cover,
revegetating, and controlling water running onto
and off the piles with diversion ditches is EPA's
preferred alternative. The primary benefits of
alternative 2 over alternatives 3,4,and 5 are
that it is more effective in the short term, more
easily implemented, and lower in cost. Alterna-
tive 2 is equally protective of human health and
the environment as these alternatives. Alterna-
tive 1, no action, does not protect human health
and the environment.

Background

The Talache Mine is located near Atlanta in
an area where mines have been operating
for more than one hundred years resulting
in the upper and lower tailings piles which
have blown out on numerous occasions
over the years. The upper tailings pile blew
out on May 15, 1997, flowed through the
lower pile below, and on into the valley.
The area below the lower tailings pile where
tailings were deposited as a result of the
1997 release is known as the "depositional
area." The tailings were released over
approximately 80 acres including upland
meadows and a major wetland, and into
two creeks and the Middle Fork of the
Boise River. The release covers both
private property and property owned by
the United States Forest Service
(USFS). Arsenic is the most significant of
several metals present in the tailings at
high concentrations and represents a
potential threat to both human health and
the environment.

Previous EPA Cleanup Activities

An estimated 8,060 cubic yards of tailings were
removed from stream beds, banks, open areas
within the wetlands and meadows, and all areas
where people were most likely to be exposed.
The materials were collected and moved onto
the lower tailings pile. Exposed areas were
either replanted with native species or seeded
with an appropriate mix. A thousand bales of
hay were strategically placed to keep the soil
and sediment from moving. Repairs to both the
upper and lower piles were made, including the
installation of drainage pipes to minimize ero-
sion. Five existing sediment and water catch
basins were cleaned and reinforced; an addi-
tional basin was added to the system; and the
water diversions systems were made permanent
with concrete diversions structures. All activities
were coordinated with the USFS, the Idaho
Division of Environmental Quality, and the U.S.
Department of the Interior.


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For More Information

Copies of the EE/CA and other documents pertaining to the Talache site are available
for your review at the Atlanta Post Office; and at EPA's Boise Office, 1435 North
Orchard Street.

If you have questions please call

Fran Allans, Project Manager at 208/378-5775,

Jean Baker, Community Involvement Coordinator, at 206/553-2587

or call EPA's toll-free number 800/424/4372

To ensure effective communication with everyone, additional services can be made
available to persons with disabilities by contacting one of the numbers listed above.

v		v

&EPA

United States	EPA Region 10

Environmental Protection	1200 Sixth Avenue (OW-135)

Agency	Seattle, Washington 98101-1128

SUPERFUND FACT SHEET

Talache Tailings Site
Atlanta, Idaho


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