PROJECT
SELECTION
Approximately 75% of Forest Service, and
all of the USDA funds are allocated at
the national level, to fund specific
cleanup projects. These projects
are submitted by the Forest Service
Region Offices along with narratives
describing the costs and
benefits of each.
Because resources
are limited, and the backlog of cleanup
and safety work large,
the
projects submitted must
be prioritized to receive
Forest Service funds.
Forest Service funds are prioritized by a team
of regional office
representatives and
Washington Office
engineering, watershed
and mineral staffs using
the Choosing by
Advantages (CBA)
methodology. Projects
are ranked by the Team
based on how well they
meet criteria for human
health and safety,
environmental protection,
public/private
partnerships and public
interest.
The USDA prioritizes projects submitted
by all the agencies in the Department of
Agriculture, including the Forest
Service, using a
similar approach.
WORK
ACCOMPLISHED
Since 1998 the Forests
have reported that
nearly 2000 safety
hazards have been
mitigated and nearly 500 CERCLA (involving
hazardous substances)
and non-CERCLA
(involving sediment)
sites have been cleaned
up. The abandoned mine
cleanup and restoration
work that is funded by
the Forest Service AML
Program falls into 3
general categories:
Large or Complex Lode
Mines and Millsites
These
abandoned or
inactive mines involve tens
to hundreds of acres of
disturbance, and include
restoration or removal
of mill buildings,
roads, mine openings,
open pits, waste rock,
tailings and spent ore.
Releases of hazardous
materials or sediment
from these abandoned
mines often cause
significant offsite
effects to surface water
and aquatic resources,
in addition to direct
impacts to soil,
vegetation and
wildlife. Cleanup of
these mines cost tens,
to over one hundred
million dollars, and
require many years to
complete. Frequently
work on these sites is
done by potentially
responsible parties,
with direction and
oversight by the Forest
Service and other state
or federal agencies.
Although relatively few
in number, work on these
projects have the
potential to restore
miles of aquatic
resources, often in
sensitive or critical
habitat, and tens to
hundreds of acres of
soil and vegetative
resources.
Drainages Affected By
Historic Placer Mining
In many areas of the
Western United States
placer mining has
disrupted miles of
streams and adjacent
floodplains. While
these disturbed areas may
not be releasing
hazardous substances,
they may be contributing
sediment, and in almost
all cases they have
resulted in losses of
aquatic habitat,
floodplains and
associated wetlands and
riparian areas.
Restoration of these
areas typically involves
design and construction
of a natural stream
channel and associated
floodplain, removal or
burial of placer
tailings (rocks and
boulders), and
recreation of wetland or
riparian habitat.
Small Mine Cleanups
and Safety Hazards
The
majority of abandoned
mines consist of
isolated mine openings,
shafts, roads and old
buildings. Although
they do not pose the
kind of environmental
hazard that large
complex mines do, they
are often significant
safety hazards and may
be causing localized
environmental problems.
Cleanup of these sites
may involve recontouring
of roads, closure of
mine adits and shafts,
removal of mine
chemicals and trash,
restoration or removal
of old mine buildings
and protection where
possible of AML
dependant species such
as bats.
FUTURE
OF THE PROGRAM
In 1995, USDA and the
Forest Service set as a
goal for the AML
Program, to have all
abandoned mines that
have the potential to
release hazardous
substances or sediment
to be cleaned up by
2045. The cost of this
cleanup was estimated to
be approximately $4
billion. To achieve this
goal would require an
average expenditure of
$80 million. Although
USDA and the Forest
Service are far short of
$80 million, we still
hope to meet our goal by
requiring work to be
done by potentially
responsible parties, as
well as continuing and
expanding partnerships
with state, federal and
private individuals and
organizations.
PARTNERS
AND POTENTIALLY
RESPONSIBLE
PARTIES
One of the
factors that the
Forest Service
and USDA
considers in
prioritizing
projects for
funding is
whether or not
there are
partners or
potentially
responsible
parties
available to
assist with the
work.
For the all the
agencies in the
USDA potentially
responsible
parties have
contributed
almost $300
million in
additional funds
or work to clean
up contaminated
sites.
In addition to
PRP funding and
work, other
state, federal
and private
partners also
contribute funds
and work,
greatly
extending the
work that is
done with Forest
Service and USDA
funding.
A few of the
projects that
involve
partnerships are
shown below.
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Monday
Creek
Watershed,
Ohio -
Since
1999 the
Forest
Service
has
spent
over $1
million
dollars
together
with
more
than $2
million
from 20
organizations
and
agencies
to
cleanup
abandoned
coal
mines in
the
Monday
Creek
Watershed.
|
Cottonwood
Wash
Utah -
The
Forest
Service
worked
with the
State of
Utah and
BLM to
close
hundreds
of mine
openings,
removed
thousands
of cubic
yards of
radioactive
tailings
and
restored
miles of
abandoned
mine
roads.
|
Animas
Watershed
Colorado
-
Approximately
325
recipients
are
on
the
mailing
list
for
the Animas
River
Stakeholders
Group.
There
are
1500
abandoned
mines
in
the
drainage
of
which
half
are
on
federal
lands.
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Boulder
Watershed,
Montana –
One of the
first
collaborative
watershed
cleanups
involving
state,
federal and
private
parties.
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American
Fork
Canyon,
Utah –
The
Forest
Service
completed
cleanup
of
abandoned
mines on
the
National
Forest
in 2003.
In 2004
Trout
Unlimited
initiated
a Good
Samaritan
Cleanup
together
with the
US EPA,
Snowbird
Resort
and
Tiffany
& Co.
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