United States
                     Environmental Protection  .
                     Agency
   Office df Water
   4303
   February 1996
EPA-821-F-96-001
                      FACT SHEET
             The Alaska-Juneau Gold Mine Project

  Abstract      .                ''        '  •   v   .    ' •     '.'.'••.           .
       The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to exempt from existing EPA effluent
  guidelines (40 CFR Part 440, Subpart J) dewatered tailings generated by the Alaska-Juneau (A-J) .gold mine
  project near Juneau, Alaska . EPA is proposing this exemption based on the results of a preliminary review
  of the technology basis for the existing regulations that appear tq show that, because of th'e severe topo-
  graphic and climatic conditions that exist at the A-J site, the use ftf a tailings impoundment is impractical. •
  If constructed, the tailings impoundment may result in long-term environmental degradation.
  Background
  Impoundments, or "tailings ponds," are used by
  the mining industry primarily to dispose of mine
  ore-tailings and to remove suspended solids from
  the wastewater prior to its discharge to surface
  waters. They must be large enough to provide
  sufficient retention time so that settling can take
  place'and hold the settled solids. Ponds are
  designed to permanently hold the mill tailings and
 • also contain all runoff from rain or snow that falls
  in the drainage area.                           •

  The A-J Site                         .
  Much of southeastern Alaska, where the A-J site is
  located,  consists of highly mountainous terrain
  characterized by glacially carved valleys with
  avalanche chutes and steep rocky slopes.  In an
  attempt to comply with existing regulations, the
 facility would be required to construct a tailings
  pond that would extend the width' of'Sheep Creek
 Valley to a height of 345 feet. The Impoundment
 would encompass 420 acres of the 540 acre
 valley.  The impoundment size was made
 necessary in part because of the volume of tailings
 generated (over 100 million tons) during the life of
 •the project and by the inability to divert runoff and
' stream flow using common practices.

 EPA's Proposal
 The use of impoundments was an important
 component of the technology basis of existing
 regulations at 40 CFR 440, Subpart J.  Based on
 EPA's preliminary review  of existing regulations,
 the site conditions (i.e., the extreme climate and
 topography of the area), and the size of the
 project, it appears infeasible to divert natural
 stream flow and runoff around any impoundment
 that might be constructed at the site.  As a result,
 an extraordinary amount of runoff Would flow into
 the impoundment which would ma'ke it
  impracticable to.treat the mil^tailings.  In addition,
  construction of a massive .tailings impoundment
  may result in long-term environmental degradation
 . and there are safety concerns with a pond of this
  size. Thus, EPA questions whether the
  requirement of the existing regulations should be
  applicable to the project.

  This proposal opens the way for the detailed
  evaluation of certain alternatives for treatment of
  the tailings from the project that are not allowable
  under the current regulations. EPA will evaluate  all
  comments and information received prior to
  making a final determination,  which the Agency
  currently expects to do by the end of 19S6.

  Comments
  Comments on the proposal must be submitted to
  EPA in accordance with the time schedules that
 are published in .the Federal Register, Comments
 may be submitted during a 60-day comment
 period and comments concerning technological
 alternatives for the A-J project site may be '
 submitted during a 180-day comment period.  A
, series of public meetings concerning the exclusion
 of dewatered tailings is being  planned for the
 Spring of 1996 during the extended comment
 period.  The times and locations of these meetings
 will be noticed in the Federal Register and local
 newspapers  when they are finalized.

 Further  Information                     "
 For additional information, you may contact
 Ronald G. Kirby, Telephone Number: 202-260-
 7168; Facsimile Number: 202-260-5394. The entire
 Federal Register notice may be viewed on the
 Internet at http://www.epa.gov/EPA-WATER.
 The notice contains detailed information on how
.the public can comment on this proposed action. ,

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