DENVER — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that United Park City Mines (UPCM) has entered into an agreement with multiple federal and state agencies to assess, clean up and restore more than 2,700 acres that are contaminated with historic mining waste within the Richardson Flat Superfund site near Park City, Utah, according to a press release.
Under the terms of an administrative order on consent between UPCM and EPA, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation and the State of Utah Natural Resource Trustee, UPCM will perform an engineering evaluation, cost analysis, cleanup and restoration in lower Silver Creek, reported the release.
“EPA is encouraged by United Park City Mines’ commitment to cleaning up the Silver Creek watershed,” said Martin Hestmark, EPA’s assistant regional administrator in Denver. “Restoring these areas and addressing the discharge of heavy metals to Silver Creek will result in dramatic improvements to aquatic habitat and water quality. These efforts will also help ensure the long-term success of work being done to address mine waste in other parts of the Richardson Flat site.”
Historical mining operations undertaken by various parties within the Park City Mining District produced substantial quantities of ore and created significant volumes of mine waste that have contributed to surface water, groundwater and soil contamination in the Silver Creek watershed, continued the release, with contaminants of concern including lead, arsenic, zinc and cadmium.
According to the release, EPA has been involved with investigation and cleanup activities at the Richardson Flat site since 1988.
Read the full release here.
