Site Report: Mountain Top Mine
| Site Name: | Mountain Top Mine |
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| Address: | Chineekluk Creek, 40 Miles SW of Sleetmute, Aniak, AK 99557 |
| File Number: | 2404.38.013 |
| Hazard ID: | 3794 |
| Status: | Active |
| Staff: | Brittani Mack, 9072628205 brittani.mack@alaska.gov |
| Latitude: | 61.402778 |
| Longitude: | -157.983611 |
| Horizontal Datum: | WGS84 |
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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
Analytical results of samples collected from the retort areas and tailings piles revealed significant concentrations of several metals including mercury (490 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg)). Mercury was not detected in surface water samples or sample from on-site spring drinking water source. Aboveground storage tank (AST) fuel storage area west of airstrip mentioned but not examined in the Superfund Technical Assessment & Response Team (START) Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection (PA/SI). Site is located on a small knoll and encompasses approximately 23 acres. On-site drinking water source is a spring located down-gradient of areas of concern that had elevated levels of manganese below Alaska Drinking Water Standards. On-site hunting guide camp since 1992 and transient hunter populations occur seasonally. Permafrost 12 to 24 inches below ground surface. The Environmental Protection Agency Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (EPA CERCLA) # AKSFN1002134. Mr. James R. Wylie possessed claim to extract minerals from the property since 1968.
Action Information
| Action Date | Action | Description | DEC Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/13/1999 | Update or Other Action | EPA CERCLA # AKSFN1002134 Site Discovery completed. | Bruce Wanstall |
| 12/1/2000 | Preliminary Assessment Approved | Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START) PA/SI Report completed. | Bruce Wanstall |
| 1/16/2001 | Site Added to Database | December 2000 START PA/ SI Report on file in the Juneau Office. ADNR manager Mike Sullivan 907-269-8566. | Bruce Wanstall |
| 1/16/2001 | Site Ranked Using the AHRM | Preliminary ranking. The probable point of entry (PPE) for Chineekluk Creek is approximately 150 feet down-gradient of the south boundary of the tailings piles in the surface water drainage. leading to the creek (START 2000). | Bruce Wanstall |
| 7/14/2004 | Update or Other Action | File number issued 2404.38.013 | Aggie Blandford |
| 6/6/2006 | Update or Other Action | Site transferred from Pikul to Horwath. | Aggie Blandford |
| 7/5/2006 | GIS Position Updated | Using Figures 1 and 2 from the Mountain Top Mine Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection Report, Aniak, Alaska, from START, dated December 2000, in conjunction with TopoZone Pro, entered the coordinates for this site. Metadata includes USGS Topo Map 1:63K, on a Medium Size Map, View Scale 1:10,000, Coordinate Datum WGS84. Moderate to High degree of confidence in accuracy of location. | Alyce Hughey |
| 7/19/2006 | Update or Other Action | Project manager changed from Horwath to Fritz, per Paul Horwath. | Alyce Hughey |
| 10/27/2006 | Update or Other Action | A file review memo was sent to management for the Mountain Top Mine. The expenditure of State funds was determined to not be warranted at this State-owned site. Antimony was detected in the surface water drainage/freshwater spring at concentrations that exceed the drinking water standard. The spring is reportedly utilized for drinking water by a limited population for limited durations. Staff recommend that ADNR undertake efforts to reduce exposure, rather then efforts to remediate existing contamination. Staff will work with ADNR to accomplish this. | Don Fritz |
| 4/1/2008 | Exposure Tracking Model Ranking | Initial ranking with ETM completed. | Don Fritz |
| 7/1/2009 | Meeting or Teleconference Held | Met with Greg, Linda, and Paul regarding actions to take at Mountain Top Mine | Don Fritz |
| 8/5/2009 | Update or Other Action | Phone conversations with various DNR staff regarding Mountain Top Mine site and permitting questions. Phone call with Candice Snow regarding site, and her assistance to depict that Kelly Vrem had a Commercial Recreational Permit that did not require DNR to review plat info prior to issuance. Reviewed permit application sent by Candice. Phone conversation with Kelly Vrem, the former hunting guide who used the site as a base camp. Discuss findings with Paul. | Don Fritz |
| 12/28/2010 | Exposure Tracking Model Ranking | A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 74769 Mountain Top Mine. | Don Fritz |
| 11/16/2011 | Update or Other Action | Site transferred from Don Fritz to Peter Campbell per Paul Horwath. | Alyce Hughey |
| 2/12/2015 | Update or Other Action | This site and other similar former mining sites (for consistency) are being evaluated to determine if and what further action is necessary to mitigate human health and/or ecological risk. | Linda Nuechterlein |
| 2/20/2015 | Exposure Tracking Model Ranking | Initial ranking with ETM completed for source area id: 74769 name: Mountain Top Mine | Linda Nuechterlein |
| 4/20/2015 | Exposure Tracking Model Ranking | A new updated ranking with ETM has been completed for source area 74769 Mountain Top Mine. | Joshua Barsis |
| 6/28/2018 | Meeting or Teleconference Held | A meeting was held this date with DEC and DNR to discuss the site and future actions. | Anne Marie Palmieri |
Contaminant Information
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Requirements
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No associated sites were found.