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Site Report: BLM Kolmakof Mine

Site Name: BLM Kolmakof Mine
Address: N. Bank of Kuskokwim Riv., Near Aniak, Aniak, AK 99557
File Number: 2404.38.014
Hazard ID: 3382
Status: Active
Staff: Brittani Mack, 9072628205 brittani.mack@alaska.gov
Latitude: 61.595372
Longitude: -158.962447
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

An inspection of the R&H claim by BLM showed that barrels of waste oil, lead-acid batteries, caustic processing chemicals, and potentially contaminated tailings were left behind. No mining activities have taken place since 1993. CERCLIS/EPA ID # AKN001002949. The site is an abandoned mercury mine. Tailings, ore, soil and sediment contain mercury, arsenic, total chromium, and DRO above soil cleanup levels. DRO contaminated soil was placed into a landspread treatment cell in 2014 and DRO is below cleanup levels in the landspread. Mercury, arsenic and chromium contamination has been excavated in some areas but not all. Surface water in a creek which runs adjacent to the site, did not contain detectable levels of mercury, but sediment samples from the creek bed contained mercury up to 89 ppm. There are exceedances of NOAA threshold effects levels and probable effects levels for mercury, arsenic, copper, and nickel in sediment. The tailings pile was dumped on the bank of the Kuskokwim River. Groundwater, and river sediment have not been characterized.

Action Information

Action Date Action Description DEC Staff
5/16/2000 Update or Other Action BLM issued a Notice of Noncompliance to the RP, requiring that the RP clean up and restore the Kolmakof Mine site within 30 days of receipt of the letter. On 5/16/00, the BLM notified ADEC that a work plan is forthcoming for site work to be done in June 2000. Eileen Olson
6/13/2000 Site Added to Database Batteries, waste oil, caustic processing chemicals, and mercury tailings. Eileen Olson
7/16/2004 Update or Other Action File number issued 2404.38.014 Aggie Blandford
2/7/2008 Exposure Tracking Model Ranking Initial ranking with ETM completed for the Ball Mill area. The site was divided into the Camp Area, the Ball Mill area, and the tailings pile. Kim DeRuyter
4/4/2008 Meeting or Teleconference Held Staff met with BLM project manager Larry Beck to discuss remedial options for the site. DEC requested that BLM conduct a background study of soil and sediment at the site. Cleanup levels need to be determined, and the Solid Waste program will be consulted in hopes of attaining a landfill permit for demolition debris. BLM would like to tear down the cabins and mill buildings early this summer. Kim DeRuyter
4/23/2008 Meeting or Teleconference Held Marty Brewer and Kim DeRuyter met with Larry Beck (BLM) to discuss characterization of the Kuskokwim River water and sediments to determine if the tailings pond could be impacting human and ecological receptors at the site. Kim DeRuyter
4/24/2008 Site Characterization Report Approved March 2008 Removal Site Inspection Report Approved. ADEC comments to the draft report were incorporated into the final document. Kim DeRuyter
6/13/2008 Update or Other Action Met with the BLM project manager, and term contractors to conduct a site visit of the mine. Two of the cabins and the managers house had been burned down by site visitors this spring. Multiple species of small birds were active in the underbrush and bird nests were seen in some of the site areas. It will be important not to remove brush from the area while young birds are still in their nests. An additonal small building was located near the top of the pit area. It was difficult to tell naturally occuring rock from tailings on the river bank, but from the top of the pit looking down toward the river a large area of loose fine grained soil was visible which could be processed ore. Soil/rock along the river bank near the mine area is visibly more red in color than the areas up and downstream. Kim DeRuyter
9/19/2008 Site Characterization Workplan Approved Reviewed and approved an abbreviated site characterization work plan for the BLM Kolmakof Mine Site. Due to funding constraints and the delayed date of awarding the contract, the scope of work for this field season was reduce to background sampling at the 4 areas of concern, soil sampling for explosives residue at the former explosives shed, a geophysical survey of the former mine pit, a limited hazardous waste removal, and an asbestos/lead based paint survey. A separate work plan will be submitted prior to the 2009 field season which will address characterization of source areas, and surface water and sediment sampling to evaluate the impacts of the tailings pile on the Kuskokwim River. Kim DeRuyter
9/15/2011 Site Characterization Workplan Approved EE/CA work plan approved this date. AMEC plans to implement the field work later this month. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/26/2012 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC provided comments to BLM on the draft EE/CA this date. DEC did not concur with the preferred removal alternative of excavation and creation of an on-site landfill. BLM plans to investigate shipping out some of the metal debris and non-soil items in FY13 as part of an interim action. Finalizing of the EE/CA is on hold. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/21/2012 Site Characterization Report Approved EE/CA report approved this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/21/2012 Cleanup Level(s) Approved Cleanup levels approved this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
6/10/2013 Cleanup Plan Approved Cleanup plan approved this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/30/2014 Interim Removal Action Approved BLM is conducting the cleanup action in two separate phases, due to available funding. In 2013, BLM demolished on-site structures. They excavated and disposed of 60 cy of metals-contaminated soil and 400 cy of non-hazardous debris. A petroleum-contaminated soil landspread treatment area was constructed on-site and 23 cy of soil was moved to this area. Additional cleanup will occur in 2014. Anne Marie Palmieri
7/28/2014 Cleanup Plan Approved Staff approved a cleanup plan addendum this date for the field work that will be conducted in summer 2014. In August, BLM will remove contaminated soil from the Ball Mill Chute and the Retort Mound, and send it out of state for disposal. The petroleum contaminated soil that was landspread at the site last summer will be sampled. Anne Marie Palmieri
1/21/2015 Interim Removal Action Approved An approval letter for the 12/2014 interim removal action report was sent this date. The report documents activities conducted in 8/2014. Contaminated soil was excavated from the mill area (6 cy) and the retort mound area (94 cy), and disposed of at Columbia Ridge Landfill in Oregon. Confirmation samples show that contamination remains and additional work is needed. Sampling of the petroleum contaminated soil in the landspread area shows that the approved cleanup levels were met and no further action is needed in regards to those soils. Anne Marie Palmieri
5/25/2015 Cleanup Plan Approved A cleanup plan was approved this date. Anne Marie Palmieri
12/8/2015 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other The Final Site Characterization and Limited Removal report was approved this date. This report documents field activities from June 2015. Work was conducted at both the Mill Area and Retort Mound Area. The contaminated soil at the Mill Area was excavated and the confirmation samples met the cleanup levels; thus, no further cleanup is needed at this area. A small volume of contaminated soil was excavated at the Retort Mound Area; however, contamination above the cleanup levels remains. Additional work is needed at the Retort Mound Area. Anne Marie Palmieri
8/23/2016 Site Characterization Workplan Approved A limited characterization work plan was approved this date. BLM plans to conduct additional characterization to define the extent of remaining contamination at the site in Sept. 2016. Anne Marie Palmieri
3/3/2017 Document, Report, or Work plan Review - other DEC approved the characterization report for the delineation of the remaining contamination at the retort mound. New cleanup levels were approved based upon the 2016 revised regulations. Anne Marie Palmieri
1/12/2024 Potentially Responsible Party/State Interest Letter BLM was sent PRP letter. Kelly Ireland
3/8/2024 Cleanup Plan Approved DEC approved a BLM workplan to excavate up to 500 CY of mercury-contaminated soils and ship them out of state for disposal. Excavation boundaries to be confirmed by XRF and rush-turnaround analytical samples. Nick Waldo

Contaminant Information

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Description Details

No associated sites were found.

Missing Location Data

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