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Mining Remediation

EA helps clients with the technical challenges unique to mining and smelter sites, including tailings investigations, composite covers, contaminated sediments, ecological and human health risk assessment, natural resource damages, cost-effective remediation alternatives, and beneficial reuse of the property.

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Services

On behalf of government agencies, EA inventories, characterizes, remediates, and monitors abandoned hard-rock mine and mineral processing sites—addressing both risks to human health and the environment as well as minimizing and eliminating features that pose physical safety issues. Working closely with our government clients, EA conducts these activities with an emphasis on community involvement, environmental justice, and stakeholder coordination—ensuring that both ecosystems and communities are improved for the present as well as the future.

List of services with associated icons. Includes Mining Remediation; Environmental Sampling; Geochemistry; Hydrogeology; Remediation Design/Engineering; Environmental Justice; Construction Management; and Community Involvement

Key Contacts

Headshot of Kim Nelson Kim Nelson, P.G.
Senior Vice President, Director of Federal Programs
Email Kim

Headshot of Sarah Babcock

Sarah Babcock, P.E., PMP
Vice President, Program Manager
Email Sarah

Let's Dig In

EA is an expert at addressing environmental contamination, with its adverse impact to human health, that exists today due to historical and now abandoned hard rock mining operations. Our extensive experience includes treating acidic water laden with heavy metals and addressing waste rock and tailing piles that are releasing substances such as arsenic, lead, and mercury into groundwater, surface water, and soil. We routinely monitor remedies after completion to ensure that they continue to achieve desired results.

Project Experience

A worker in waders putting on a hardhat before water that is tinted copper

Copper Bluff Mine

EA is supporting mine rehabilitation, geochemical investigation, and remediation to decrease acid mine drainage (AMD) from reaching a nearby river at this inactive copper, zinc, and gold mine. Our team is implementing an investigation of the adit and AMD discharge in preparation for rehabilitation work. EA prepared a UFP-QAPP, a HASP for both above- and underground work, a Technical Access Plan, Surface and Subsurface Mapping Plans, and a Soil and Water Chemistry Plan.

Colored standing water surrounded by rocks and steep, wooded slopes

Stibnite Yellow Pine Mining Area

On behalf of EPA, EA is providing oversight of the Potentially Responsible Parties’ remedial activities and removal actions including 3 stream diversion projects, removal of 325,000 tons of contaminated sediment and mine waste, slope stabilization, construction of onsite repository for mine wastes, and characterizing sources of contamination from former mine adits.

Colored soil and grass in the forground with steep slopes and pine trees in the background.

Bonita Peak Mining District

EA operates and maintains the interim water treatment plant, which was constructed to control ongoing releases of metal-laden water from the Gold King Mine. Tasks include performing site operational monitoring and sampling, sludge management, pond maintenance, and seasonal cleaning of the conveyance systems.

Aerial map showing a lake where a mine used to be located and colored areas showing contaminant plumes to the west.

Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine

EA is conducting a focused RI and providing community involvement support at this large, high-profile complex former mercury hard rock mining site. The RI is focused on providing an engineering evaluation and cost analysis for a non-time critical removal action to address portions of the Northwest Waste Rock Pile. The community involvement is focused on providing outreach and education regarding the fish consumption advisory for Clear Lake.

Two field workers on either side of a drill rig.

Argonaut Mine

To facilitate the cleanup of this historical hard rock gold mine, EA performed a CERCLA RI, prepared engineering evaluation and cost analyses, and is currently completing the engineering design of remedial actions including construction of drainage ditches and waste consolidation/disposal. Continuing our efforts, EA is developing a pilot-scale system, using in situ biofiltration swales, to treat mine tailing seepage.

open field with large area of mine tailings in the midground and mountains in the background

Iron King Mine

EA conducted an RI/FS at this 340-acre site and the accompanying abandoned smelter. Tasks included extensive environmental sampling and analysis, human health and ecological risk assessments, characterization of mine tailings and groundwater impacts, and associated contaminant transport. EA developed remedial alternatives, which included stabilization design for the tailings and provided agency coordination and community involvement.

EA’s breadth of experience includes toxicology evaluations, remedial actions, and community involvement support for:

  • Acid Generating Rock
  • Historic Structures
  • Alpine Access Roads
  • Open Pits
  • Ponds and Impoundments
  • Tailings and Waste Rock Piles
  • Adit Tunnels

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EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC headquarters
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