Leviathan Mine 5-Year Workplan
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SFUND RECORDS CTR 75537 LEVIATHAN MINE 5-YEAR WORKPLAN California Regional Water Quality Control Board Lahontan Region Prepared by: Catherine Schoen, Water Resource Control Engineer Dr. Bruce Warden, Environmental Specialist II Diana Henrioulle-Henry, Associate Water Resource Control Engineer Reviewed by: Dr. Ranjit Gill, Environmental Specialist IV Harold J. Singer, Executive Officer Julv 1995 Table of Contents I. Introduction ................................................. 1 II. Site Description ............................................... 2 III. Mining Operations ............................................. 5 A. Subsurface ............................................. 5 B. Open-pit ............................................... 6 IV. Pre-project conditions .......................................... 11 A. Early studies and data collections ............................ 11 B. 1970 Regional Board staff report ............................. 12 V. Pollution abatement project design ................................. 14 A. Skelly and Loy feasibility report ............................. 15 B. Gathering additional data .................................. 16 C. Brown and Caldwell Design Report and Draft EIR ................ 18 VI. Project construction ........................................... 27 VII. Site acquisition .............................................. 27 VIII. Final project ................................................ 30 A. Leviathan Creek Channel with underdrain ....................... 30 B. Lined Evaporation Ponds .................................. 31 C. Regraded, compacted pit with surface and subsurface drainage ........ 32 D. Regrading of overburden .................................. 33 I.. Concrete Deterioration ......................................... 36 .. Post-project water quality ....................................... 38 .I. Water Quality Monitoring Program ................................ 40 A. Flow measurements, Division of Water Rights ................... 41 B. Water quality monitoring .................................. 41 .II. Geophysical surveys at Leviathan Mine ............................. 42 .III. Site maintenance program ....................................... 43 A. Yearly maintenance ...................................... 44 B. Other maintenance needs .................................. 44 Leviathan Mine 5-Year Workplan XIV. Current efforts to address remaining sources of contamination at Leviathan Mine ..................................................... 45 A. Channel underdrain ...................................... 45 B. Pond overflows ......................................... 48 C. Unreclaimed site - Preliminary revegetation workplan for Leviathan Mine ................................................ 53 XV. Overall objective of pollution abatement efforts at Leviathan Mine ........... 62 XVI. Leviathan Mine project funds .................................... 62 XVII. U.S. EPA regulation ........................................... 63 A. Clean Water Act ........................................ 63 B. NPDES Storm Water Permit with discharge limits and compliance schedule .............................................. 63 XVIII. Water Quality Standards ........................................ 64 XIX. Conclusions ................................................ 65 REFERENCES ................................................... 68 Attachments: A: Early Data Collections and Studies of Water Pollution as a Result of Leviathan Mine B: Brown and Caldwell Recommended Project Design Development C: Project changes during construction D: Site Revegetation figures, tables and references 11 Lists of Tables and Figures Tables: Table IV.A.l: Abstracts contained in Attachment A ......................... 12 Table IV.B.l: Worst 1968 and 1969 water quality measured in Leviathan and Bryant .Creeks .................................................... 13 Table V.C.I: Recommended project water quality .......................... 20 Table IX. 1: Concrete repair alternatives .................................. 38 Table X.I: Post-project versus pre-project water quality ....................... 39 Table XIV.A.I: Constructed wetland treatment of underdrain ................... 47 Table XIV.A.2: Comparison of overburden seep and channel underdrain ........... 48 Table XIV.B.l: Neutralization treatment of pond 4 water ..................... 50 Table XIV.B.2: Option Costs for immediate action to prevent pond overflows ....... 52 Table XVIII. 1: Numerical Water Quality Objectives for Bryant Creek Basin ........ 64 Table XVIII.2: Numerical Water Quality Objectives for Bryant Creek Basin, Maximum values ............................................. 64 Table XVIII.3: Existing and potential beneficial uses of surface waters in Bryant Creek Basin ................................................ 64 Table XIX .1: Leviathan Mine 5-Year Workplan PY requirements ............... 66 Table XIX .2: Leviathan Mine 5-Year Workplan contract dollar requirements ........ 66 Figures: Figure II. 1: Bryant Creek watershed ..................................... 3 Figure II.2: Location of Leviathan Mine .................................. 4 Figure III.l: Mining impacts ........................................... 7 Figure III.2: Profile view of pit and underground workings ..................... 8 Figure III.3: Plan view of pit and underground workings ....................... 9 Figure III.4: Brown and Caldwell map of probable remaining underground mine workings ................................................... 10 Figure V.B.I: Test holes and shallow piezometers location map ................. 22 Figure V.B.2: Surface water sampling sites in mine area ...................... 23 Figure V.B.3: Surface water sampling sites down stream of mine area ............. 24 Figure V.C.I: Recommended Project .................................... 25 Figure V.C.2: Location and surface area of proposed ponds .................... 26 Figure VII.B.l Leviathan Mine property appraised .......................... 29 Figure VIII.1: Final project .......................................... 34 Figure VIII.B.l: Pond system ......................................... 35 111 Leviathan Mine 5-Year Workplan I. Introduction This report describes a five year workplan that the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Region (Regional Board) believes will best address the water quality problems remaining at Leviathan Mine. The workplan defines positive steps toward achieving the Regional Board's overall goal: the restoration of all beneficial uses to Bryant Creek, with significant improvements to Leviathan and Aspen Creeks. Future regulatory action for Leviathan Mine should incorporate this workplan. The five year workplan also serves as a site management plan that outlines maintenance, inspections, and monitoring requirements. Erosion, vandalism, project aging, and acid mine drainage discharges create these constant needs. This document establishes a baseline program for maintenance, site inspections, and monitoring required to protect the project improvements and comply with the requirements of the Toxic Pit Cleanup Act Exemption granted to the SWRCB by the Regional Board (Resolution No. 89-204). In addition to the proposed workplan, this report contains descriptions of the Leviathan Mine site, mining operations, early monitoring efforts, the design and construction of the Regional Board's Leviathan Mine Pollution Abatement Project, and post-project water quality. Substantial background information has been included in this workplan to establish a common understanding of the site. Though direct inspection of Leviathan Mine offers valuable insight, true appreciation requires knowledge of information buried in the voluminous project files, and recollections of staff who observed the site before and during construction of the pollution abatement project. Most would agree that Leviathan Mine is an impressive site with many facets that do not lend themselves to simple or complete solutions. Leviathan Mine 5-Year Workplan II. Site Description Leviathan Mine lies within the Bryant Creek (interstate) watershed, at an elevation of 7,000 feet (Figure II. 1). Leviathan Creek flows north across a southwestern portion of the disturbed mine site and Aspen Creek flows northwest along the northeast border of the overburden piles and landslide. Both receive surface runoff, and subsurface flows from the site, while only Leviathan Creek receives continuous underdrain discharge and seasonal pond overflows. Aspen Creek flows into Leviathan Creek downstream of all mining related impacts to land. Approximately two miles north and downstream of the mine, Leviathan Creek meets with Mountaineer Creek to form the headwaters of Bryant Creek. Bryant Creek flows north across the California-Nevada state line which is three miles downstream from the end of Leviathan Creek, and continues another three miles northwest before it enters the East Fork Carson River. Leviathan Mine, Leviathan Creek and Bryant Creek can be located on the USGS Heenan Lake Quadrangle 7.5 minute series topographic map. The nearest population, Dresslerville, Nevada, is approximately 20 miles downstream from the mine site. Leviathan Mine is located east of Markleeville in Alpine County, California (Figure II.2). The site is accessed by two dirt roads that connect to California State Route 89 over Monitor Pass (3 miles), and to Interstate Highway 395 in the Double Spring Flat area between Gardnerville and Topaz Lake (10 miles). In normal