Copper Basin Mining District

In January 2001, the story of the Copper Basin changed from environmental degradation to environmental restoration.  The EPA, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and one of the potentially responsible parties, OXY, USA and its corporate affiliate Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc. (GSHI) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding and a series of enforceable state and federal legal agreements and orders.  These agreements are designed to provide for immediate action in the short term in order to protect the Ocoee River and begin the long term environmental restoration of the Copper Basin Mining District site.  Clean up of this unusual mining mega-site via the Superfund Alternative site clean up process is a success story of unprecedented teamwork whose numerous accomplishments over the last six years have achieved the goal of protecting the Ocoee River as well as taking major steps toward the long term goal of environmental restoration.

Davis Mill Creek Watershed:
GSHI has implemented a series of EPA removal orders in the Davis Mill Creek Watershed and has established the Davis Mill Creek Existing and Committed Water Treatment system.  GSHI refurbished the existing Cantrell Flats Wastewater Treatment Plant and began collecting and treating the acid and metal laden waters of the creek on November 18, 2002.  The plant also collects and treats associated underground mine waters as well as the contaminated storm water at the existing industrial facility.  Since that date GSHI has completed the installation of the Belltown Creek and the Gypsum Pond Creek diversion systems to route clean waters around the most heavily contaminated parts of the watershed thus reducing volume of water requiring treatment.  Additionally, the three existing dams in the watershed have been upgraded and modified to detain contaminated storm water for treatment.  The entire system can detain and treat contaminated water as well as bypass the uncontaminated waters of a 10-year 24-hour storm event of 5.7 inches of rainfall.  From November 18, 2002 until November 17, 2006, the Cantrell Flats wastewater treatment plant has removed a cumulative 12,202,912 pounds of metals (iron, zinc, manganese, copper, lead, cadmium) and neutralized a cumulative 22,261,555 pounds of acid from the creek that would have otherwise flowed into the Ocoee River.  In September 2005, GSHI assumed responsibility for the Remedial Investigation Feasability Study (RI/FS) in Davis Mill Creek Watershed.  The draft RI/FS will be complete in the Fall of 2006 and a surface water Record of Decision (ROD) for Davis Mill Creek is scheduled for 2007.

North Potato Creek Watershed: The TDEC Commissioners Order for North Potato Creek Watershed established biological integrity of the watershed as its long term goal and requires shorter, interim remedial actions to protect the health and safety of the public and the environment.  GSHI has completed or is in the process of completing these actions.   These include capping the lead contaminated soil at the site of the former Isabella chamber acid plant and covering and re-vegetating the abandoned slag dump also at Isabella.  The 300-acre tailings pond was re-vegetated with native grasses and over 100,000 trees have been planted.  PCB contaminated equipment and soils were removed from 10 different areas across the watershed.  Over 5 miles of 8-foot tall, barbed wire topped chain link fencing and subsidence monitoring equipment have been installed around 7 different areas of abandoned and collapsing mine works.  Additions and modifications to the experimental passive wetlands system have been completed.  A comprehensive inventory of acid generating materials and hazardous substances associated with historic mining in the watershed has been conducted.  As a result, over 273,360 cubic yards of acid generating materials have been placed into the Isabella Mine Pit for sub-aqueous disposal.

EPA required additional short term actions in the North Potato Creek watershed to temporarily alleviate the contaminant discharge of North Potato Creek to the Ocoee River while long term actions under the state voluntary clean up program proceed.  GSHI conducted a study and agreed to evaluate alternative approaches to temporarily alleviate contaminant discharge to the Ocoee River.  This study resulted in the selection of a lime treatment plant to be constructed near the mouth of creek at the South Mine Pit. Construction of the plant is complete and operations began January 10, 2005.  The plant will remove 90 percent of the dissolved metals of ecological concern from the creek water and will raise pH of the discharge of the creek to the river from 3.3 to greater than 7.0; thus, virtually eliminating the historic adverse impact of  North Potato Creek.  From January 10, 2005 to January 10, 2007, the North Potato Creek water treatment plant has removed 434,158 pounds of metals and more than 1,378,000 lbs. of acid from the creek that would have otherwise flowed into the Ocoee River.  Additionally in 2005, the removal of 47,000 cubic yards of slag from the Apache Blast area located adjacent to the Ocoee River was completed.  The slag was placed at the Mary Mine and restoration of the Mary Mine area was completed.

Ocoee River:  EPA is in the process of completing a phased RI/FS of 26 miles of the Ocoee River impacted by the site.  The study area includes 3 TVA impoundments that are managed for recreation, flood control, and white water recreation.  The study initially documented conditions in the Ocoee River prior to water treatment at the confluences of Davis Mill Creek and North Potato Creek.  The RI/FS focus has now shifted to evaluation of more chronic ecological impacts associated with resultant sediment, pore water, and surface water quality.  A two-dimensional sediment transport model has been calibrated to assist in development and evaluation of protective sediment and water level management strategies.  A ROD for the Ocoee River is expected in late 2007 or early 2008.