The Environmental Protection Agency has released a cleanup plan for a former mine and Superfund site in Dewey-Humboldt.
The project is designed to clean up millions of tons of mine and smelter waste and contaminated soils at the Iron King Mine.
The work would put a permanent cap over some pollutants and freeze it in place so it doesn’t contaminate local waterways.
Decades ago, the former Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter left behind 8 million tons of mine tailings and other waste containing arsenic and lead.
It washed into drainages and the Agua Fria River, contaminated soils and continues to pose a health threat to people and wildlife.
It was declared a Superfund site in 2008. The EPA has already conducted five cleanups at the mine that included residential soils.
Public comment on the plan will be accepted until May 13th. Comments can be made by mailing them (postmarked by May 13th) to: Jeff Dhont (Phone: 415-972-3020), Remedial Project Manager, EPA Region 9, Mail Code SFD-8-1, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Comments can also be emailed to Thompson.Georgia@epa.gov and Dhont.Jeff@epa.gov or left via voicemail at (800) 231-3075.