Silver Creek Watershed  
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Next Steps as of May 2010
 

With many of the upper mountain issues complete, the focus can be shifted to reaches of the Watershed occupying the valleys and lower elevation drainages within the Watershed.  The Middle Reach or that portion of the Watershed that extends from Prospector Park to State Highway 248 contains sediments with elevated levels of metals that are contributing to the contamination of the surface water.  The area known as Lower Silver Creek extends from U. S. 40 on the south end to Interstate 80 on the north end and has been the focus of UDEQ studies that show widespread contamination in both fluvial environments and upland environments.  Currently, United Park City Mines Company is working on a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) to determine the extent of the contamination and the most feasible approach to cleaning it up.  These studies will be complete in 2011 0r 2012.  Following the RI/FS a Record of Decision (ROD) will be generated that will lay out the remediation to be completed.  Shortly thereafter, a Remedial Design/Remedial Action Consent Decree and Work Plan will be generated to implement the remediation construction.

 
 

Upcoming Events

 

The next Upper Silver Creek Watershed Stakeholder Group meeting will be announced.

The next Lower Silver Creek Watershed meeting will be announced.

 

Updates

Empire Canyon

 Environmental cleanup and restoration at Empire Canyon is finished.  Since the fall of 2003, United Park City Mines, with the support of the Stakeholder Group, worked to remove contaminated mine waste from stream channels, reconstructed stream channels, and covered and recontoured mine waste in selected areas.  From this project and the project to remediate potential residential areas in the Empire Pass development over 50,000 cubic yards of contaminated material was removed from the upper watershed area.

DV Luxury Resort, LLC (DVLR) has proposed the construction of a hotel, spa, and condominium project in the section of Empire Canyon called Daly Mine Dump, to be known as the Montage Resort & Spa.  If approved, the development will contribute to the cleanup of contamination at this former mining site.  DVLR has also agreed to participate in EPA’s initiative to encourage environmentally responsible redevelopment and reuse of contaminated properties (ER3).  As an ER3 participant, the proposed Montage Resort & Spa will incorporate extensive “green” features into the design, construction, and operation of the development to minimize the project’s environmental footprint.  This project is slated for completion in December of 2010.

Prospector Square

 EPA is pleased to announce that it has officially archived Prospector Square from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) database.  CERCLIS is the database containing information on areas across the nation that could possibly qualify for a Superfund investigation.  This concludes EPA’s involvement in the environmental management of the soils at properties in Prospector Square.

 Richardson Flat

 Environmental cleanup and construction at Richardson Flat began in the fall of 2007.  The work is intended to remediate mine tailings at Richardson Flat and is expected to take at least three years.  Once the cleanup is complete, disposal of mine waste at Richardson Flat will continue until the middle and lower reaches of Silver Creek are remediated.  At that time, land use restrictions and easements will be instituted to protect the remedy.

United Park City Mines Company has been working diligently to complete natural resource habitat restoration as remediation occurs.  This saves resources and places the remediated area into a restored situation much faster than normal CERCLA type program closures.

 Lower Silver Creek

Current and future development plans for properties abutting lower Silver Creek have made it timely to identify and address any remediation/restoration requirements in this lower stream segment.  EPA has convened a group of landowners and developers who have interest in this stretch of Silver Creek and who are willing to meet with local, state and federal agency officials in a workgroup forum.  This forum met twice in 2006 and will meet again as necessary.  The primary purpose of this group is to share information about what is known regarding contaminated areas in the lower Silver Creek watershed.  They are looking at potential sources of contamination, vulnerable resources, and correlating this information to land ownership and development plans.  United Park City Mines Company is working on an RI/FS for this reach.  It is scheduled to be completed in 2011 or early 2012.  Once completed, this study will identify the most feasible and practical clean up methodology.