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Public Meeting for Elizabeth Mine Superfund Site on July 11 in S. Strafford, VT

Release Date: 07/10/2006
Contact Information: Dave Deegan, 617-918-1017

Release Date: 07/10/2006
(Boston, Mass. -- July 10, 2006) -- EPA will be hosting a public information meeting on July 11, 2006 to present the Proposed Cleanup Plan for the Elizabeth Mine Superfund Site in Strafford and Thetford, Vermont. EPA will also hold a public hearing on August 1, 2006 to accept comments on the Proposed Cleanup Plan. The Proposed Cleanup Plan is summarized in a fact sheet entitled “Proposed Plan Elizabeth Mine Superfund Site” and is described in further detail in the Feasibility Study for the Elizabeth Mine Superfund Site which is part of the Administrative Record.

EPA evaluated 16 cleanup options in detail in the Elizabeth Mine Feasibility Study. The preferred cleanup options, which are listed below, are the most cost effective cleanup options that comply with federal and state environmental regulations, unless a waiver is invoked, and protect human health and the environment. In summary, the alternatives selected by EPA as the preferred alternatives are:

Lord Brook Source Area 4 (LBSA 4): Partial filling of the South Open Cut, including consolidation of TP-4 and portions of the waste rock from the South Mine, and diversion of surface water. Discharge of water to surface water or groundwater. Land use restrictions (institutional controls) to protect the cleanup action. Total Cost: $4.1 million.

Upper and Lower Copperas Factories (CF 4): In-place covering of the lead-contaminated soil and land use restrictions to protect the clean up action. Cost: $0.6 million.

Sediment 2 (SED-2): Monitored Natural Recovery. Monitored natural recovery of the contaminated sediments in Copperas Brook, the mixing zone of the West Branch of the Omompanoosuc River (which is a 1700 foot section of the West Branch below the confluence with Copperas Brook), and the unnamed tributaries to Lord Brook. Total Cost: $0.4 million

Infrastructure Area 4 (IA-4): Monitoring and Institutional Controls. Monitoring to the surface water run-off from the Mine Infrastructure Area to ensure no negative impacts to water quality downstream in Copperas Brook along with land use restrictions. Total Cost $0.253 million

Site Wide Groundwater 2 (SW-2): Monitoring and Institutional Controls. Long-term monitoring and land use restrictions to prevent groundwater consumption and protect the Superfund Remedy. This alternative includes a waiver, as allowed by the Superfund law, of the groundwater standards for the water within the underground workings based on a finding that it would be technically impracticable from an engineering perspective to restore the water in the underground workings. Total Cost: $0.5 million.

EPA is also seeking public comment on the Technical Impracticability Waiver as well as findings regarding unavoidable impacts to wetlands, aquatic resources, and historic features. At the July 11th, 2006 meeting, there will be a presentation about the cleanup plan followed by an informal question and answer session. On Aug 1st, 2006, EPA will hold a public hearing to receive public comment on the Proposed Plan. A 30 day formal public comment period begins on July 12, 2006 and extends until August 11, 2006.

A copy of the proposed plan along with other technical documents related to the Site is available at the Site information repositories. The Site information repositories are the Norwich Public Library, Norwich, Vermont and the EPA Records Center at 1 Congress Street in Boston, hours: M - F, 10 am to 5 pm. Copies of the plan will be available at both meetings and are also available on EPA New England’s website: https://www.epa.gov/region01/superfund/sites/elizmine

EPA and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources encourage you to attend the meetings. For further information about these meetings or the public comment process, call Pam Harting-Barrat of EPA’s Community Affairs office at (617) 918-1318, or toll-free at 1-888-372-7341, ext. 81318.