{"id":49268,"date":"2021-01-14T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/epa-to-drill-into-mine-west-of-silverton-at-risk-of-blowout\/"},"modified":"2021-01-14T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T12:00:00","slug":"epa-to-drill-into-mine-west-of-silverton-at-risk-of-blowout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/epa-to-drill-into-mine-west-of-silverton-at-risk-of-blowout\/","title":{"rendered":"EPA to drill into mine west of Silverton at risk of blowout"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"The
The Bandora Mine, about 9 miles west of Silverton, has been considered at risk of a blowout for years. The Environmental Protection Agency this summer will attempt to clear the pile of rock and dirt holding back water at the mine\u2019s entrance.<\/span>Courtesy of Ray Dileo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The Environmental Protection Agency plans this summer to drill into the collapsed entrance of a mine near Silverton that\u2019s at risk of a blowout.<\/p>\n

If the situation sounds familiar, it is.<\/p>\n

The EPA in August 2015 drilled too far into the loose pile of dirt and rocks that covered the entrance of the Gold King Mine, causing a blowout that released 3 million gallons of water laced with heavy metals into the Animas River.<\/p>\n

But not all mines are created equal, said Rob Parker, a project manager for the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site, which was set up about a year after the Gold King Mine spill.<\/p>\n

The Bandora Mine, about 9 miles west of Silverton up Forest Service Road 585, along the banks of the South Fork Mineral Creek, has drawn concern for years because of the risk for a blowout.<\/p>\n

What makes the danger of Bandora Mine\u2019s collapsed portal particularly concerning is, should a blowout occur, it could potentially put untold numbers of people at risk in the popular South Mineral Creek camping area.<\/p>\n

\"Over
Over the years, erosion has caused dirt and rock to pile over the Bandora Mine. Now, an unknown amount of water is backed up behind the mine&#x2019;s entrance, posing the risk of a blowout.<\/span>Courtesy of Ray Dileo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIt could be a real mess,\u201d Bill Simon, co-founder of the now-defunct Animas River Stakeholders Group, said in May 2016. \u201cThere could be serious injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bandora Mine produced gold and silver on and off from 1890 to 1940. Although the mine was last known to be owned by Stith Mining LLC, based in Alabama, the site has sat idle for decades.<\/p>\n

Over the years, erosion has caused rock and dirt to collapse over the entrance of the mine, which is now backing up groundwater that was previously freely flowing out of the mine\u2019s workings.<\/p>\n

The problem is that no one knows how much water is behind the collapsed entranced. In 2015, an inspection showed water inside the mine is spilling out at an elevation higher than the flow of the workings.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Environmental Protection Agency believes the threat of a blowout is not imminent at the Bandora Mine. Nonetheless, the agency will seek to eliminate the risk this summer by clearing the entrance to the mine.<\/span>Courtesy of Ray Dileo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cThat\u2019s bad,\u201d Kirstin Brown with the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, said at the time. \u201cThere is water backed up. How much? I don\u2019t know. But every mine with water backed up could have the potential to blow out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bandora Mine has at least 5,000 feet of mine workings \u2013 for reference, the Gold King Mine has about 7,000 feet \u2013 yet it remains unknown how much water pressure is behind the entrance.<\/p>\n

The Animas River Stakeholders Group was awarded a grant a few years ago to work on the Bandora Mine, sitting at an elevation of 10,961 feet, but because of liability issues, the group ultimately scrapped the project.<\/p>\n

The Bandora Mine is, however, listed as one of 48 mining-related sites that are part of the EPA\u2019s proposed Superfund listing \u2013 the Bonita Peak Mining District \u2013 which would have the protections to undertake cleanup efforts.<\/p>\n

And that work is expected to start this summer.<\/p>\n

As part of the project at the Bandora Mine, the EPA wants to remove the pile of dirt and rock blocking the entrance of the mine to prevent any future unexpected blowouts.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Bandora Mine is one of the most significant loaders of heavy metals into Mineral Creek, a tributary of the Animas River. It is one of 48 mining-related sites included in the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site.<\/span>Courtesy of Ray Dileo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

While a similar effort resulted in a major release of mine wastewater at the Gold King Mine, there have been successful examples of entering and clearing the entrance of mines, such as at the Red & Bonita Mine north of Silverton.<\/p>\n

The EPA\u2019s Parker said the agency will first drill a well above the portal to the mine to get an idea about the water level inside the workings. If water levels are high, the agency would pump water out before excavating any material.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would pump water out in order to draw that level down to open up the portal without the risk of water coming out the front end,\u201d Parker said. \u201cEach location has its own challenges \u2026 but we\u2019ll get an idea of that water level.\u201d<\/p>\n

The EPA does not believe there is imminent risk of a blowout at the Bandora Mine, but should that thinking change, the agency would construct holding ponds outside the entrance in case of an unexpected release, Parker said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know this is a portal that\u2019s partially obstructed and water is building up \u2026 but we don\u2019t think there\u2019s an immediate chance of a failure,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we want to address it sooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Local
Local officials worry that if a blowout should occur at the Bandora Mine, it could impact campers farther downstream. Thousands of campers visit the South Mineral Creek area every summer.<\/span>Courtesy of Ray Dileo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Peter Butler, another co-founder of ARSG who now helps run the Superfund site\u2019s Community Advisory Group, said the situations with Gold King and Bandora Mine are different.<\/p>\n

At the Gold King Mine, the EPA was unable to drill above the entrance of the mine because the ground was unstable. Instead, crews tried to open the mine at the top of the entrance to stick a pipe inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some reason, they didn\u2019t think the water level was at the top of the adit,\u201d Butler said. \u201cThat\u2019s a big unknown why they thought that.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the Bandora Mine, it should be more possible to drill above the entrance given conditions on the ground. Butler said water is coming out of the mine about 10 feet above the base of the entrance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could still be tricky to drill behind the Bandora and open it up,\u201d he said. \u201cNo one knows how much water is back there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bandora Mine is considered a high loader of heavy metals into Mineral Creek, a tributary of the Animas River.<\/p>\n

Once the entrance is cleared, EPA\u2019s Parker said the agency will evaluate next steps. The agency also plans additional work on the site, such as diverting surface water from coming in contact with mine waste piles.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt that point, we will evaluate what additional steps need to be done to improve water quality in Mineral Creek,\u201d Parker said.<\/p>\n

As far as the safety of campers and the general public, the EPA will also evaluate what steps need to be taken, such as putting up signs or other measures.<\/p>\n

Thousands of people camp in the South Mineral Creek area every summer, whether at established campgrounds or dispersed camping, many times in known floodplains.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would only be a matter of 15 to 30 minutes before it reached South Mineral Campground,\u201d ARSG\u2019s Simon said previously.<\/p>\n

Parker said the EPA hopes to complete the project this summer, but it could go into 2022.<\/p>\n

jromeo@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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