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Environmental Protection fc—• M % Agency May 2017

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P r o j e c t U p d a t e I S i t e T i m e l i n e I

The Barker-Hughesville Mining District Superfund Site (the Site) is * 19705 to 1990s: Investigations conducted by State j . , . . . , , , . . , _ , , . , o f M o n t a n a . A n i n v e n t o r y o f a l l a b a n d o n e d m i n e s

in west-central Montana, east of Monarch. The area has a rich was completed by Aban^oned Mine Lands

mining legacy from the late-19th/early-20th centuries when the Department between 1993 and 1995.

mining camps of Barker and Hughesville were home to more than . 2001; Added to EPA's National Priorities List of 500 people. The investigation boundary covers almost 15 square Superfund sites.

miles of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest and private • 2002 to 2005: Doe Run investigates and cleans up lands. It includes the floodplain of Dry Fork Belt Creek and many Block p Mi" Tailings under EPA and USFS

tributary drainages (such as Daisy, Green, Silver, Galena, McKay Gulch, Spruce, Gold Run, and Smoke-in-Hole Creeks). * 2004/2005: EPA visits and ranks bV hazard the 45

abandoned mines identified by State and prepares

The Site contains many abandoned mines with waste rock dumps, a technical memorandum.

discharging mine waters and streamside deposits of mine waste. * 2007 to 2016: Doe Run does annual monitoring.

Most mine sites are in the Galena Creek drainage near the historic • 2008 to 2013: Doe Run investigates and cleans town sites of Barker and Hughesville. Some mines are on private up Block p Mi" Tailin9s under EPA enforcement.

land and some are on public land administered by the U.S. Forest • 2009: EPA begins remedial investigation and Service. The largest mining features are the Block P Mill Tailings samples soil, mine waste, roads, surface water,

, . 3 groundwater and sediment. (reclaimed in 2004 and 2005) and the Block P Mine Complex (reclaimed between 2011 and 2013). * fntinues ramfed!al '"Ration- Doe

' Run completes removal of Block P mine waste -ru 11 o i- • i. . x x- A ., , and repository closure. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been involved at the Site since 2001. To enable EPA to focus on the * 2013 to 2015: EPA begins feasibility study

investigation. Doe Run begins post-removal most serious contamination first, the Site is divided into two inspection and monitoring. EPA continues to working areas, referred to as operable units (OUs). OU1 - Galena sample sediment and surface water.

Creek contains source areas (mines and mining-related areas). • 2016: EPA finalizes remedial investigation report OU2 - Dry Fork Belt Creek contains streamside deposits of mine and feasibility screening and evaluation. EPA waste along Dry Fork Belt Creek that were carried downstream Jj*"" feasibili,y study report for source areas

during runoff and floods. In 2016, EPA finalized the remedial . . . . , , , . _ . x „ . . . • 2017: EPA is scheduled to finalize the feasibility

investigation report for the entire Site. It characterizes the nature study report for 0U1 Doe Run will continue

and extent of contamination and identifies risks to human health investigating ways to limit adit discharge or treat and the environment. A draft feasibility study report for OU1 that water in place and the Block P Mill and Mine

, . , ,. j * • Complex. Source control measures will be evaluates cleanup alternatives is now under Agency review. eua|uated at severa| mine water disoharges t0

determine feasibility of treating mine waters before This fact sheet describes EPA's recently completed and discharging to Galena Creek.

upcoming work. It includes activities to be completed by • 2018: EPA is scheduled to issue a proposed plan Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and Doe Run Resources and record of decision for OU1. (a large mining company responsible for cleanup at the

Block P Mill and Mine Complex).

* — — —-—-——— ,

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R e c e n t a n d U p c o m i n g W o r k a t t h e B a r k e r - H u g h e s v i l l e S i t e .

EPA Activities Doe Run Activities Using historic data and data collected between 2009 and 2016, The Doe Run Company plans to complete some remedial measures at the Block P Mill BS multiple reports and technical memoranda have been prepared for ™ - <BPB^^B and Mine Complex in 2017. The proposed work will include the following: BB EPA and its partner agencies* to support a remedy decision These . ** LB

.. , , .. . r-r»A. u u ^ -j • Grout and/or foam close seeps that are emanating adjacent to Galena Creek on KM documents are available online at EPA s webpage or can be viewed JhtggaHB^^^B K K9

x x u r - m A • 4 : x - x / u 1 v [ - - - . , • n n , c t h e s l o p e a d j a c e n t t o t h e B l o c k P M i n e . I t i s e s t i m a t e d t h a t t h e s e s e e p s m m at the EPA information repository (back page). Field work in 2016 : KM ,. .. ,, r-r,^ 1 ^ /T I contribute much of the contaminated water that impacts Galena Creek. El

was limited to EPA s semi-annual sampling of surface water, r- wJgSSBEB groundwater and sediment on Galena Creek and Dry Fork Belt Creek * • Relocate Galena Creek adjacent to the historic Block P Mine to allow more room —IB— (top photo). EPA also held a public meeting in Neihart on November ?j|H| to strengthen and stabilize the toe of the hillside adjacent to the Block P Mine by Mon?toring 15, 2016 to discuss progress at both the Barker-Flughesville and — adding clean fill to the slope toe. ——

Carpenter-Snow Creek Sites. • Continue monitoring of the reclamation previously completed at the Block P Mill

This document includes objectives, methods, sampling, results, analysis, • Prepare preliminary plans for permanently closing the Grey Eagle and Block P Action summary, and conclusions for the bench-scale and pilot-scale adit water Bp.rA' fJjlSr^'L Mine adits. — treatability studies (middle photo) conducted for the Danny T Mine and ; » B E j-j j! J^jV. Tiger Mine. Testing of the Danny T Mine water will continue in 2017. BplB? EPA' Doe Run' and the suPPort a9encies have agreed to work collaboratively —HB—

hB yjjffi 3 remed'at'on e ort hat focuses on mine waste and contaminated soils first "Design*' Feasibility Study Report r BBJUI BiS^B 1 and makes every reasonable effort to control mine waste impacts to surface 9 EPA and its partner agencies have commented on a draft OU1 feasibility >1 3

, . . f , ^ u . , - 1 1 r_,n on-i -7 .Br I water and groundwater prior to selecting a remedy to address contaminated study report and a final draft version is expected in late fall 2017. The 1 initial draft report covered all contaminated media at OU1. In March n p MWWlt1 1 water. ^ Record of 2017, the agencies decided to proceed forward with a report on only the | PjMJBra . _____ Decision contaminated mine waste. Cleanup of contaminated water will be addressed after mine waste clean up is finished. This will allow a more thorough evaluation of source control What's Next For The Site? | 7 ] measures for contaminated water without slowing progress. It will also allow EPA to measure if the removal of EPA's schedule (shown below) is controlled in large part to the availability of Proposed the solid sources has a positive impact on the water contamination before determining a specific water cleanup resources. ^ ; I p|an

remedy. OU1 - Galena Creek (source areas): T j

l llll I 11'11 Bill Mill' Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Activities # 2017-2018: Feasibility study report for contaminated mine waste finalized, followed , iviomana risn VVIiailie ana rarKS ACllVllies by proposed plan for cleanup, public comment period, and ROD. Feasibility

iffiBBBBWr The State of Montana will continue to monitor fish populations in z_._„ _ ,. , . .. . . , , , , . Study W M K • 2019-2023: Remedial design/remedial action (clean up) of mine waste and

Carpenter Creek, Dry Fork Belt Creek, and Belt Creek to evaluate contaminated soils • I

f I t h e r e S p ° n S e t 0 ° n g ° i n g r e C , a m a t i 0 n a C t l V i t i e S a t t h e B I ° C k P M i n G . 2 0 2 3 : F e a s i b i l i t y s t u d y r e p o r t f o r c o n t a m i n a t e d w a t e r , f o l l o w e d b y p r o p o s e d p l a n f o r M -Siam&mr and Mi" (photo at left)" Studles are underway in the Dry Fork Belt cleanup, public comment period, and ROD.

&j| %«* ppPpi^l tCre^k in PrePar3t'on for a large-scale westelope cuWiroat . 2Q24 and beyond. remedia| design/remedial action (clean up) of contaminated jj glgn

5 , : species (rainbow trout and hrook trout) and rep'acng them with OU2 - Dry For Belt Creek (impacted downstream areas): B

K* .sA4l^^WWeStS'0Pe CUtt70at tr0Ut.. uestlons can elrecte « 2020: Feasibility study report for streamside soils along Dry Fork Belt Creek, followed Discovery T : area 163 91 ana e' by a proposed plan for cleanup, public comment period, and ROD. ^

' and Pa.ks (back page). . 2021-2024: Remedial design/remedial action (clean up).

*EPA is the lead agency at the Site. Support agencies are the U.S. Forest Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Montana Department of Environmental Quality; and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

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neopost/' FIRST CLASS A ^nil United States

«ybm^™ntal protection

10 West 15th Street, Suite 3200 Helena, Montana 59626

041L11251284

Attn: R. Hoogerheide

Roger Hoogerheide, RPM Barker-Hughesville Site ENVIRONMENTAL US EPA PROTECTION AGENCY 10 W. 15th St., Suite 3200 ...» i - 9m7

Helena MT 59626 MAY 1 6 2017

MONTANA OFFICE

www.epa.gov/superfund/barker-hughesville 15 1 " T"~; : ipg /• • \ ." 7 ™ ~ ™ — •• •

Site Contacts If you need more information on the work being done, please call or email one of the people listed below:

• Roger Hoogerheide, EPA Remedial Project Manager, 406-457-5031*, hoogerheide.roger@epa.gov

• Robert Moler, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, 406-457-5032*, moler.robert@epa.gov

• Keith Large, DEQ State Project Officer, 406-444-6569, klarge@mt.gov

• Steve Opp, USFS Minerals and Geology Program Manager, 406-495-3716, jopp@fs.fed.us

• Sandy Johnson, Cascade County Health Department, 406-791-9275, sjohnson@cascadecountymt.gov

• Jason Mullen, MT FWP Great Falls Area Fisheries Biologist, 406-454-5855, jmullen@mt.gov

*or toll free at 1-866-457-2690

Barker-Hughesville Superfund Site Document Repository Site-related documents are available for your information and review at: yjWjfe

EPA Records Center iflPH 40 West 15th Street, Suite 3200 9Ujl • <>' ~ ~

Helena, MT 59626 |j| 1 g l / /

406-457-5046, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm