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The French Gulch Wellington-Oro Mine (Site) is located about one mile east of Breckenridge, Colorado. Water in the mine has elevated dissolved metals concentrations. Some of this water flows into French Gulch via mine structures, faults, fractured bedrock and the alluvial system. French Gulch is a tributary to Blue River which has been impacted by this mine water. Some of the surface waste at the mine contains elevated concentrations of lead and arsenic which may present a human health risk upon skin contact and ingestion, and may be leached into surface and groundwater. In order to reduce health risks and water contamination from surface wastes, B & B Mines, the property owner, initiated surface waste remediation in the Fall of 1998. The EPA approved the surface waste mitigation following extensive review of the plan and comments by local residents. The surface waste remediation cost approximately $350,000. Groundwater and snowmelt dissolve metals (zinc, manganese, iron and minor amounts of arsenic, cadmium and lead) from the extensive mine workings and surface waste materials and leach them into French Gulch and Blue River. An investigation is currently underway to determine the most appropriate remediation method to reduce metal concentrations in French Gulch and Blue River resulting from mine discharges. |
| For questions or comments, send e-mail to: Adrian Brown |
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