vyEPA Removal Action Update Chevron Questa Mine Superfund Site Environmental Protection Taos County, New Mexico June 2012 Agency This Fact This Sheet will tell you about. • June 5, 2012 - Open House • Current Actions • Next steps • Questions and Answers • Site Description and History • Where to get more information Open House There will be an Open House on June 5, 2012, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Carson National Forest Questa Ranger Station, State Road 150, Questa, New Mexico. The open house will be on an informal come-and-go basis. Community members can ask questions about the Chevron Questa Mine Superfund Site and the upcoming Removal Action work. The work is further described in this Fact Sheet. This Meeting is being held in a fully accessible facility. Should you have specific needs or questions about the facility, please contact Janetta Coats, Community Involvement Coordinator, at (214) 665-7308 or toll-free (800) 533-3508. CURRENT ACTIONS On March 7, 2012, the EPA Superfund Division Director and the Chevron Mining Inc. (CMI) President jointly signed an Administrative Order on Consent under which CMI will conduct Removal Actions to address mining-related contamination at the Chevron Questa Mine Superfund Site located near the Village of Questa in Taos County, New Mexico. The specific Removal Actions to be conducted are: Mill Area • Installation of inlet storm water controls at Eagle Rock Lake, removal of Eagle Rock Lake sediment, and on-Site disposal of the excavated material; • Removal of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated soil in the Mill Area and off-Site treatment/disposal of the excavated soil; • Piping of unused irrigation water in the Eastern Diversion Channel to prevent its infiltration through historic buried tailing in the Tailing Facility Area; and • Removal of historic tailing spill deposits along the Red River Riparian Area, including the large tailing pile at the Lower Dump Sump and on-Site disposal of the excavated material at the Tailing Facility Area. These actions are the first of many components of the remedy selected for this site as outlined in the EPA December 20, 2010 Record of Decision (ROD). These actions will address the risk from exposure to PCB contaminated soil, the risk to wildlife along the Red River, and ecological risk from Eagle Rock Lake sediments. ------- This is the first fact sheet being sent out for the Removal Actions. EPA will provide periodic updates as the work progresses. NEXT STEPS Work planned for completion in Summer through Winter 2012 includes installation of inlet storm water controls at Eagle Rock Lake, removal of PCB contaminated soils in the Mill Area, and construction of piping to re-route unused irrigation water in the Easter Diversion Channel. Work is estimated to start in late June or early July. The work will start with the installation of the inlet control structure. This structure will be installed to reduce the amount of sediment entering the lake during storm events. Excavation of the Eagle Rock Lake sediments is currently planned for Summer 2013 after completion of work being conducted at Cabresto Lake by the New Mexico State Engineers Office. Removal of PCB-contaminated soil in the Mill Area is estimated to start in mid-July. The soil will be excavated and confirmation soil samples will be collected and analyzed to make sure that required cleanup levels are met. The excavated soil will be staged at a location at the Mill Area. If cleanup levels are not met, additional soil will be excavated. PCB-impacted soils will be treated and/or disposed at appropriate EPA approved off-site facilities. The excavated areas will be backfilled with clean soil and the area regraded for proper drainage. Work to place piping along a portion of the Eastern Diversion Channel to prevent unused irrigation water from infiltrating through historic buried tailing in the Tailing Facility Area is estimated to start in October 2012. The Fall of 2012 is an optimum time for this work due to work on Cabresto Lake and a reduction in the amount of water in the irrigation channel. Less water makes construction of this project more manageable. A plume of ground water impacted by molybdenum has developed due to unused irrigation water in the channel that comes into contact with historic buried tailing beneath the channel. A pipeline in the channel bottom will be constructed to divert the irrigation return water past the buried tailing. This will dry up the area of historic buried tailing and should reduce molybdenum concentrations in ground water. Work to cleanup historic tailing spill deposits is estimated to start in the Spring of 2013. During the operation of the tailing pipeline, leaks developed in the pipeline which resulted in tailing spilling onto the adjacent ground. Most of the spills occurred prior to completing installation of a rubber-lined pipe in 1991. The historic tailing spills are located primarily in the current and historic pipeline areas along the Red River floodplain and are identified in three general areas: catchment areas or open areas, along the existing pipeline or the historic pipeline, and in forested areas. The historic tailing spills were identified and sampled as part of the site reconnaissance in 2004. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Question: Why is the sediment in Eagle Rock Lake being cleaned up? Answer: Eagle Rock Lake sediment may harm the benthic macroinvertebrate populations (aquatic insects and other invertebrates) due to exposure to elevated concentrations of cadmium, copper, manganese, nickel, and zinc. High concentrations of aluminum also appear to contribute to physical degradation of benthic habitats by forming a gel- like substance that coats the bottom substrates. Benthic macroinvertebrates are considered important because they serve as a major food source for fish. Question: Are the fish in Eagle Rock Lake safe to eat? Answer: Yes, the fish in Eagle Rock Lake are safe to eat. The rainbow trout in Eagle Rock Lake are stocked by the Red River State Fish Hatchery. Question: Will I be able to fish Eagle Rock Lake during cleanup work? Answer: Fishing will be allowed during the initial phase of work scheduled to be completed in 2012. The work will focus on automating the existing water inlet control structure and will not substantially affect the operation of the lake. Please note that this area will be an active construction zone and access will be temporarily limited in appropriate areas. Recreational use (fishing) would be lost during and for a period of time after the sediment removal activities until clarity of the water improves, suspended sediment settles, and the lake ------- is restocked with rainbow trout. The sediment removal activities are currently estimated to occur during the Summer of 2013. Question: What will happen to the fish in Eagle Rock Lake during sediment removal? Answer: Work will be coordinated with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the Red River State Fish Hatchery prior to the start of dredging activities for possible fish salvage and/or opportunities for potential enhancements to fish habitat. Question: Where will the Eagle Rock Lake sediments be taken and by what route? Answer: Disposal options for Eagle Rock Lake sediments are currently be evaluated. The EPA Record of Decision requires that the sediments be disposed of at an appropriate on-Site facility. Question: What are PCBs? Answer: PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are mixtures of chlorinated compounds that were commonly used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment until the late 1970s. PCBs are man-made chemicals that can be either oily liquids or solids. PCBs last a long time in the soil and are not readily broken down by natural processes. Question: What are the health effects of PCBs? Answer: Workers who made PCBs and were exposed to very high concentrations during the manufacturing process experienced skin problems including severe acne and rashes. Mothers with a high dietary intake of PCBs are more likely to have children with behavioral and immune system problems. PCBs cause cancer in lab animals exposed over for long time. The EPA considers PCBs to be a probable human carcinogen. Question: Where are PCBs located at the mine site and how did they get there? Answer: Testing shows that PCBs are located only on mine property and are mostly confined to an area around the mill. It appears that the soil at the mill was contaminated by soil moved from the electrical transformer storage area. Question: Should mine workers do anything differently to protect themselves from PCBs? Answer: General handling precautions should include frequent hand washing, and no food, drink, tobacco use, or makeup application in contaminated areas. The mine's safety and industrial hygiene group should first review areas where workers are moving or digging soil in the mill area. Question: Who should I talk to if I need more information about PCB exposure to mine workers? Answer: Chevron Questa Mine safety and industrial hygiene personnel can answer your questions about PCB exposure. If you have more questions, please contact Janette Kibogy, Questa Mine Hygienist at 575-586-7624. Question: Where will the PCB soil be taken and by what route? Answer: PCB soil will be taken to the Clean Harbors Deer Trail, Colorado facility or incinerated at the Clean Harbors Aragonite, Utah facility. The haul route will be from the Mill area west along Highway 38, heading north along Highway 522. Trucks will either head east or west out of Fort Garland, Colorado depending on their final destination. Question: Is anyone using ground water contaminated with molybdenum from the historic buried tailing beneath the irrigation channel? Answer: No. At this time, EPA is not aware of anyone exposed to contaminated ground water. EPA knows of no private wells currently used by residents for drinking water to have mine-related contamination. If it is discovered that any resident is using a private well contaminated by mining activities, EPA could take prompt action by offering to provide an alternate water supply to that resident under the Superfund Removal Program. Such offer might include providing bottled water and/or a hookup to the Village's municipal water supply system. Although future use of ground water as drinking water in the area of contamination at the Tailing Facility Area is possible, temporary well drilling restrictions will be imposed to limit such use until ground water cleanup levels are attained. Question: Where does the Village of Quests's water supply come from and is it safe to drink? Answer: The drinking water provided by the Village is ground water collected from its municipal water supply wells. These wells are located in the northern part of Questa and are not near any known ground-water contamination from the mine and tailing facility. The Village's municipal water ------- supply is tested on a monthly basis for both biological and chemical contaminants and, by law, must pass state and federal drinking water standards. It is our understanding that, based on such testing, there are currently no exceedances of drinking water standards and, therefore, the Village's water is considered safe to drink. The results of the water supply testing are included in the Village municipality's annual water quality report, which is available to the public upon request. You may obtain a copy of this report by contacting the Village of Questa. It is noted that, at the request of several Questa residents, NMED and EPA collected tap samples from their homes for analysis. This request was made because of residents' concerns that some of the water supply distribution lines that convey water into the homes are buried in mine tailing. Residents feared that potential cracks in the water lines could result in tailing material getting into the line and contaminating the water supply when pressure drops in the lines occur. The results from that testing indicated no exceedances of drinking water standards in the tap samples. The Village also collected tap samples from several residences and commercial properties for analysis. EPA was informed the results from those analyses showed no drinking water standards had been exceeded. At a May 2008 community meeting, representatives of the Village noted that the replacement of the water lines is a top priority and the Village has been systematically replacing lines as money becomes available through the legislature. The Village also offered to test any tap for any resident, if so requested. Question: How does molybdenum affect people? Answer: Humans are less sensitive to molybdenum than cattle and other animals with complex stomachs for breaking down food (ruminants). The only study reviewed by the EPA in which health effects have been reported in humans was a 1961 epidemiology study in which a population in Armenia was naturally exposed to high concentrations of molybdenum and low levels of copper in soil, water, and food. The study found increased blood uric acid levels and a higher incidence of joint disorders, similar to gout. The EPA has concluded that molybdenum may cause mineral imbalances in humans leading to a gout-like condition. (Sources: Mineral Tolerance of Domestic Animals, National Academy of Sciences, 1992; USEPA Integrated Risk Information System, Molybdenum File, 2008) Question: How does molybdenum affect animals? Why are cattle so sensitive to the effects of molybdenum and deer and elk less affected? Answer: Cattle are particularly susceptible to a condition known as molybdenosis, which results from molybdenum interference with copper uptake causing copper deficiency. In serious cases, symptoms include weight loss, diarrhea, discoloration of hair, and lameness (bone and joint disorders). Cattle and sheep are known to be more susceptible to molybdenosis than horses, deer, elk, or humans. Cattle and sheep are particularly sensitive to molybdenum because they possess rumens (the first stomach where bacterial fermentation of vegetation occurs) with high concentrations of sulfide-generating microbes. It is believed that molybdenum, in the presence of these sulfides, forms sulfur-molybdenate complexes which decrease the absorption and uptake of copper. Cattle are more sensitive than sheep and other animals because cattle have a higher rate of turnover of the molecule that transports copper in the blood. Another reason other animals, including deer and elk, are less sensitive to molybdenum is because they tend to range over a wider feeding area than cattle do (Source: Mineral Tolerance of Domestic Animals, National Academy of Sciences, 1992). Question: Why are historic tailing spills being cleaned up? Answer: High concentrations of molybdenum in some of the tailing spills may harm birds and non- grazing mammals. Question: Where will the historic tailing spills be taken and by what route? Answer: The historic tailing spills will be loaded onto trucks and taken to an on-Site disposal location at the Tailing Facility. The haul route will be from individual spill locations west along Highway 38, heading north along Highway 522 and west along Don Martinez Road to the northern entrance to the tailing facility. ------- SITE DESCRIPTION and HISTORY The Site is located near Questa, Taos County, New Mexico. The Site consists of an active molybdenum mine and milling facility on three square miles of land currently owned by CMI in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It also includes a tailing disposal site (tailings facility) on Questa Mine N t ! approximately two square miles of land also owned by CMI and a nine-mile long tailing pipeline running along State Highway 38 from the milling facility to the tailing facility. The mine site and tailing facility are bounded by the Red River, a tributary of the Rio Grande. The Red River is home to a State fish hatchery located two miles downstream of the tailings facility and is designated as a Wild and Scenic River in the vicinity of its confluence with the Rio Grande. Over the years, numerous breaks in the pipeline resulted in the spilling of tailing into and along the floodplain of the Red River, threatening the fishery and nearby endangered species habitats. Additional threats to ground water and surface water include seepage from the tailing facility and acidic, metal-laden water generated from the weathering of waste rock (referred to as acid rock drainage or ARD) at the mine site. Contaminants of concern include aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, fluoride, iron, lead, manganese, molybdenum, sulfate and zinc. EPA's Record of Decision (ROD) was finalized on December 20, 2010, and provides a full description of Site contamination, risk assessment, remedial alternatives, and the selected remedy. This Removal Action includes a portion of the remedy outlined in the ROD. Chevron Mining Inc. and the EPA continue to negotiate the cleanup work to be done by Chevron Mining in the longer term, but the parties have agreed on several actions, these Removal Actions, that will start beginning this year. Introduction of New Team Members We welcome new members to the Chevron Questa Mine Superfund Site team. Gary Baumgarten and Laura Stankosky, EPA Remedial Project Managers, and Janetta Coats, Community Involvement Coordinator and TAG Project Officer, have joined the team. Where to get more information... Laura Stankosky Region 6 Remedial Project Manager U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (214) 665-7525 or 1-800-533-3508 (Toll-free) Joseph Fox Project Manager New Mexico Environment Department (505) 827-2340 Janetta Coats Region 6 Community Involvement Coordinator Technical Assistance Grant (TAG), Project Officer U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (214) 665-7308 or 1-800-533-3508 (Toll-free) Margaret Lejuste Public Affairs Manager Chevron Mining Questa Mine (575)586-7616 Information Repositories The Administrative Record, including the Record of Decision, for the site is available at the following locations: Village of Questa 2500 Old State Road 3 P. O. Box 260 Questa, New Mexico 87556 (575) 586-0694 New Mexico Environment Department 1190 St. Francis Dr. Santa Fe, NM (505) 827-2340 ------- Inquiries from the news media should be directed to the External Affairs Office at 214.665.2200. You can find more information about the Region 6 Superfund program on EPA's Region 6 website: http://www.epa.gov/region6/6sf/6sf.htm A Site Status Summary for this site can be found at http://www.epa.gov/region6/6sf/6sf- nm.htm The EPA wishes to thank the community members for their participation at all EPA community meetings and encourages everyone to attend the next meeting to be held by EPA. We will notify the community of the next community involvement event when it is scheduled. oEFA United Enuiionmsnfel Profession Agenc* Region 6 1445 Ross Ave. (6SF-VO) Dallas, TX 75202 ------- |