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Colosseum Mine Site Visit Report: Colosseum Mine MINE SITE VISIT: COLOSSEUM MINE U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid Waste 401 M Street SW Washington, DC 20460 Site Visit Report: Colosseum Mine 3.0 SITE VISIT REPORT: COLOSSEUM MINE 3.1 INTRODUCTION 3.1.1 Background The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is assisting states to improve their mining programs. As part of this ongoing effort, EPA is gathering data related to waste generation and management practices by conducting site visits to mine sites. As one of several site visits, EPA visited Colosseum Mine near Las Vegas, Nevada, May 7, 1992. Sites to be visited were selected to represent both an array of mining industry sectors and different regional geographies. All site visits have been conducted pursuant to RCRA Sections 3001 and 3007 information collection authorities (see Appendix 3-A). When sites have been on Federal land, EPA has invited representatives of the land management agencies (Forest Service and/or Bureau of Land Management). State agency representatives and EPA regional personnel have also been invited to participate in each site visit. For each site, EPA has collected waste generation and management information using a three-step approach: (1) contacting the facility by telephone to get initial information, (2) contacting State regulatory agencies by telephone to get further information, and (3) conducting the actual site visit. Information collected prior to the site visit is then reviewed and confirmed during the site visit. In preparing this report, EPA collected information from a variety of sources, including, Colosseum, Inc. and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The following individuals participated in the Colosseum Mine site visit on May 7, 1992: Colosseum Mine John Trimble, General Manager (702) 367-3883 Paul Nordstrom, Technical Services Coordinator (702) 367-3883 Lynn Holden, Chief Metallurgist (702) 367-3883 Larry Pawlosky, Mine Superintendent (702) 367-3883 U.S. EPA Van Housman, Chemical Engineer (703) 308-8419 Patti Whiting, Environmental Protection Specialist (703) 388-8421 Haile Mariam, Chemical Engineer (703) 308-8439 Lisa Jones, Chemical Engineer (703) 308-8451 Anita Cummings, Environmental Protection Specialist (703) 308-8303 3-1 Site Visit Report: Colosseum Mine Science Applications International Corporation Ingrid Rosencrantz, Environmental Scientist (703) 734-2508 Laurie Lamb, Geologist (303) 292-2074 Bureau of Land Management Bill Wiley, Environmental Protection Specialist (619) 326-3896 Robert Waiwook, Mineral Examiner (714) 697-5300 California State Water Resources Control Board Rick Humphreys, Geologist (916) 739-4254 Bud Eagle, Geologist (916) 739-4194 Participants in the site visit were provided an opportunity to comment on a draft of this report. Colosseum Inc. submitted comments, which are presented in Appendix 3-A. EPA responses to comments by Colosseum are presented in Appendix 3-B. 3.1.2 General Facility Description Colosseum Inc., a subsidiary of Lac Minerals Ltd., conducted mining and cyanide (carbon-in-pulp) leaching of gold/silver ore in the Clark Mountain Range of southeastern California from 1988 to 1993 (see Figure 3-1 3-2 Site Visit Report: Colosseum Mine Figure 3-1. Location of Colosseum Mine (Source: Bureau of Land Management, et al., 1985a) 3-3 Site Visit Report: Colosseum Mine ). Mining operations ceased on July 10, 1992. Milling operations continued until May 1993. The mine and mill are located in San Bernardino County, California, approximately 50 miles southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The closest developed area to the mine (12 miles) is Whiskey Pete's, Nevada, a roadside development of casinos, gas stations and fast food restaurants on Interstate 15 at the Nevada/California state line. The mining facilities occupy 284 acres with another 3,316 acres held as private land and unpatented mining claims. Mining was conducted in two open pits, the South Pit and the North Pit. Most of the mining facility lies on unpatented Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); but two patented claims are located in the South Pit. Land use in the vicinity of the mine includes grazing and recreation. A large BLM grazing lease overlaps the mine/mill/tailings complex. The mine is located within the boundaries of the East Mojave National Scenic Area and the Clark Mountain Area of Critical Environmental Concern. These areas provide for limited multiple use of public lands within their boundaries. In addition, one Wilderness Study Area borders the property held by Colosseum Inc. (Bureau of Land Management, et al., 1985a) The mine is within the old Clark Mountain Mining District, which produced silver, gold, copper, lead, tungsten and fluorite at various times over the last 120 years. Gold was first produced in the district in the 1930s. In the 1970s, Draco Mines and their partners performed intermittent exploration drilling on the Colosseum property. Amselco leased the property from Draco Mines in 1982 and conducted extensive drilling and feasibility studies between 1982 and 1984. Amselco began the required permit applications in 1983 and a Final Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement was approved in July 1985 (see section 3.4.1). Dallhold Resources, Inc., purchased the Colosseum property in September 1986. Sometime after this purchase, Dallhold Resources, Inc., became part of Bond International Gold, Inc. Mine and mill construction began in 1987 and the mill began operation in January 1988. In November 1989, the Colosseum Mine changed ownership once more when Lac Minerals, Ltd., acquired the mine through their purchase of Bond International Gold, Inc.'s properties. Colosseum, Inc., a subsidiary of Lac Minerals Ltd., operated the Colosseum mine until July 10, 1993. (Attaway, Undated; Bond Gold Colosseum, Inc., 1990; Holden, H.L. 1991) The mill was active seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day and the open pits were mined Monday through Friday, nine hours a day. On average, the mine employed 110 people, with peak employment of 300 during the construction of the facilities in 1987. The mine employed 94 people in May 1992: 55 employees of Colosseum Inc. and 39 employees of the contract mining company, Industrial Contractors Corporation. In 1990, total reserves were estimated at 3.9 million tons of ore with an average grade of 0.040 troy ounces of gold per ton. As of July 12, 1990, Colosseum had produced over 170,000 troy ounces of gold. (Bond Gold Colosseum, 1990b). 3-4 Site Visit Report: Colosseum Mine On July 10, 1992, Colosseum ceased mining after four and one-half years of operation. Milling of stockpiled ore continued until May of 1993. According to Colosseum personnel, there are no plans to continue mining due to a variety of economic reasons. Reclamation has been ongoing. (Colosseum Inc., 1992e) 3.1.3 Environmental Setting The Colosseum Mine lies in the southern end of the Great Basin Physiographic Province in the Clark Mountain Range (see Figure 3-2 3-5 Site Visit Report: Colosseum Mine Figure 3-2. Topographic Setting of the Colosseum Mine (Source: Bureau of Land Management, et al., 1985a) 3-6 Site Visit Report: Colosseum Mine ). The Great Basin Province is characterized by valley and range topography that resulted from block faulting during Tertiary time. The Clark Mountains reflect this topographic expression, being bounded by Ivanpah Valley on the east, Shadow Valley on the west and Mesquite Valley to the north. The mine is located between 5,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level on the northeast side of Clark Mountain, the highest peak in the range at 7,929 feet above sea level. The mine and mill buildings occupy the northern end of a gently sloping plateau-like area, which extends from the north flank of Clark Mountain to the two open pits. Colosseum Gorge dissects the northern end of this plateau-like area to the east and an unnamed dry wash dissects the area on the west. The climate is that of a high, mid-latitude desert, characterized by very low precipitation and large diurnal temperature fluctuations. Annual precipitation (virtually all in the form of rain) at Mountain Pass, approximately six miles south-southeast of the mine site and at a higher elevation, averages between 10 and 12 inches. Most of the precipitation falls during November and December as frontal winter storms pass over the mountains and in the spring and summer from convectional thunderstorms. According to Colosseum personnel, since the start of mining, precipitation has averaged less than seven inches per year (as measured by a rain gauge at the mine). As of May 1992, the mine had received slightly less than six inches of precipitation for the year. Temperatures in the region experience large ranges due to the efficient heating and cooling of the earth under the generally clear skies. As of 1980, the mean maximum temperature at Mountain Pass was 85.8 degrees Fahrenheit ( F) and the mean daily minimum temperature was 46.1 F. Prevailing winds at the mine are from the northwest, with significant southerly flows. Diurnal wind data indicates a typical up- valley/down-valley pattern of air movement. During the day, warming air in the valleys rises up the drainages, and through the late night and early morning, cooled air travels back down the drainages. Habitat for the Desert Tortoise (a Federal endangered species) exists in Ivanpah Valley, along the main access road to the mine. In addition to the road, the other main disturbance to the Desert Tortoise habitat is a fresh water pipeline that carries water from supply wells in the valley to the mine. Speed controls, elevated pipelines and regular sweeps of the road have been implemented by Colosseum through their operating permit to protect the Desert Tortoises living in Ivanpah Valley (see section 3.4). 3.1.4 Geology Igneous and sedimentary rocks of Precambrian and Paleozoic age form the structurally complex Clark Mountain Range.
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