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Site Report: Tobin Creek Mill (fka Little Squaw Mining Claim)

Site Name: Tobin Creek Mill (fka Little Squaw Mining Claim)
Address: 4 Mi. E of Chandalar Lake, On Woodchuck Creek, Coldfoot, AK 99701
File Number: 175.38.002
Hazard ID: 1088
Status: Active
Staff: Laura Jacobs, 9074512911 laura.jacobs@alaska.gov
Latitude: 67.538604
Longitude: -148.305963
Horizontal Datum:WGS84

We make every effort to ensure the data presented here is accurate based on the best available information currently on file with DEC. It is therefore subject to change as new information becomes available. We recommend contacting the assigned project staff prior to making decisions based on this information.

Problems/Comments

Reported to ADEC 8/1/1990 that a soil sample contained high levels of total mercury at an active mining claim. Area of contamination estimated at 240,000 square feet. Sediment samples from nearby creek below cleanup level for mercury. Threat to human health unknown. Site name was changed from Little Squaw Mining Claim to Tobin Creek Mill (fka Little Squaw Mining Claim) for clarification.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
8/1/1990 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = MS - Monitoring/Sampling). Approximate date of sampling. Soil sample from gravel pad adjacent to a gold mining ore processing and recovery facility found to contain total mercury at 102 ppm. Former Staff
3/1/1991 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = RAPR - Remedial Action Plan Review (CS)). McCallister approved sampling. Ron McCallister
7/30/1991 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = MS - Monitoring/Sampling). Approximate date of sampling. 67 samples taken and analyzed in August with concentrations ranging from non-detectable to9 59.8 ppm. 14 of 67 samples contained mercury above 10 ppm. Former Staff
7/30/1991 Update or Other Action (Old R:Base Action Code = MS - Monitoring/Sampling). Approximate date sampling. McCallister collected 4 sediment samples from Woodchuck Creek. Concentrations below 6 ppm. Ron McCallister
10/14/1991 Site Added to Database Mercury at mining claim. Former Staff
10/14/1991 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Initial ranking. Former Staff
9/29/1993 Site Ranked Using the AHRM Reranked. Former Staff
8/15/2000 Update or Other Action Reviewed mining file 175.60.367, and copied information regarding contamination. Created CS file 175.38.002. Renee Evans
12/17/2007 Meeting or Teleconference Held Met with Robert Pate from Little Squaw Gold. The RP wants to clean up the site. They will be submitting a work plan for the field season (2008). Tamara Cardona-Marek
4/14/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed. Tamara Cardona-Marek
6/20/2008 Update or Other Action Little Squaw Mining changed names to Goldrich Mining Company. R.A. Pate submitted proposed sampling locations. Changes to these locations were suggested by DEC to try to find extent of contamination. Tamara Cardona-Marek
4/2/2009 Update or Other Action Prior contact person for Goldrich no longer works for the company. New contact has been established. R. Walt will obtain information regarding the sampling and send to DEC. Tamara Cardona-Marek
4/16/2009 Update or Other Action ADEC received data from sampling event in 2008. Mercury concentrations in soil continue to be above cleanup levels. Highest concentration found in sample adjacent to creek. Goldrich intends to remediate the site, however, financial reasons keep them from doing so at this time. Tamara Cardona-Marek
12/11/2013 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to Goldrich Mining Company requesting an update for plans for cleanup. Spoke with the CEO to inform him the letter should be arriving in the mail. Robert Burgess
2/3/2014 Update or Other Action Goldrich Mining Company has retained Travis/Peterson Environmental Consulting, Inc. (TPECI) as consultants for the site. DEC met with Eddie Packee from TPECI to discuss the complex nature of the site and evaluation of site assessment information. TPECI will submit a work plan summarizing the site history and uses, recent sampling information and lab reports, and drill records for the site, as well as outlining proposed characterization and cleanup work. Robert Burgess
3/10/2014 Update or Other Action Received response from BLM regarding PRP letter requesting additional time to provide information. Janice Wiegers
8/25/2014 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC reviewed and approved the 2014 Interim Sampling Plan. Samples from the stream will be collected during a site visit to evaluate the surface water and sediment exposure pathways as a screening step for identifying environmental risk. Robert Burgess
12/1/2015 Update or Other Action DEC reviewed and responded to a letter requesting to set background arsenic levels based on existing sample data. Comments by DEC included the need to evaluate the sample location, sampling techniques, and analytical techniques performed in addition to commenting on the need to use statistical calculations to set a background level from sample data and allow comparison to on site arsenic values. Robert Burgess
11/14/2016 Update or Other Action Site transferred to new Project Manager. Laura Jacobs
12/20/2016 Update or Other Action Call received from a member of the public to report finding potentially leaking barrels, some which appear to contain hazardous reagents in a mill building at Tobin Creek. Preparedness, Prevention and Response personnel were given the contact information for follow-up. Laura Jacobs
12/28/2016 Update or Other Action Sent letter requesting additional work to characterize the site laterally as well as vertically for contaminants of concern and a follow-up meeting to develop a work plan. Deadline of January 31, 2017. Laura Jacobs
1/6/2017 Update or Other Action Calls from the RP and the RP's consultant to coordinate a response to our letter (December 28, 2016) and discuss the confidential complaint that was called in regarding the Tobin Creek Mill site. Laura Jacobs
3/9/2017 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with DNR Lands to review confidential data provided by Goldrich. Geological exploration sample data is being considered for use as background levels for Arsenic. DEC is requiring Goldrich provide site specific information to be sure the exploration data is appropriate. Laura Jacobs
3/14/2017 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter PRP letter sent to BLM with request for information and answers to a questionnaire. Laura Jacobs
4/6/2017 Meeting or Teleconference Held Meeting with DNR-Lands, -Realty Services, and -Mining, Goldrich President and Project Manager for Little Squaw Mining claims, and DEC supervisor, current and past Project Managers to discuss the need for ecoscoping, gathering background soil samples to develop an alternative cleanup level for arsenic, further site characterization and cleanup strategies. Laura Jacobs
5/9/2017 Update or Other Action Records request received and fulfilled. Laura Jacobs
5/9/2017 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter Second PRP letter sent to BLM requesting answers to questionnaire by June 19. Laura Jacobs
5/24/2017 Update or Other Action DEC sent a list of Chemicals of Potential Concern (COPCs)with explanation, to the RP and participants of a meeting that occurred April 7, 2017. Laura Jacobs
9/14/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC received an ecoscoping document completed by RP's consultant for the area around the Tobin Creek Mill site. The consultant for RP who completed the ecoscoping form stated "No evidence of any of the identified pathways actually occurring onsite has been observed." Laura Jacobs
11/2/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC sent review comments for "Appendix C: Blank Ecoscoping Form, September 14, 2017" submitted on behalf of Goldrich by Travis/Peterson Environmental Consulting, Inc. DEC's position is that sampling was insufficient to conclude there are not ecological pathways or risk and that additional characterization is necessary. Laura Jacobs
5/2/2018 Meeting or Teleconference Held Teleconference was held with RP DNR-Lands to discuss sampling strategy and planning site visit to collect geochemical data. Laura Jacobs
6/17/2021 Update or Other Action Site name was changed from Little Squaw Mining Claim to Tobin Creek Mill (fka Little Squaw Mining Claim) for clarification. Mitzi Read

Contaminant Information

Name Level Description Media Comments

Control Type

Type Details

Requirements

Description Details

There are no documents for this site report.

No associated sites were found.

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State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

P.O. Box 111800
Juneau, AK 99811-1800
Phone: 907-465-5066
Fax: 907-465-5245
TDD: 800-770-8973
Physical Location: 410 Willoughby