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State updates county on Columbus, Kohler and Bandora mine work; drilling delayed by cross-border equipment tariff
Summary
A state staff member updated the San Juan County Board of Commissioners on planned mine remediation and monitoring work, including a Columbus Mine rock-grinder demo, proposed pressure grouting at Kohler Mine, and Bandora drilling to measure mine-water head; he said one drilling rig was delayed at the border by a $300,000 tariff and a replacement rig was being mobilized.
A state staff member briefed San Juan County commissioners on multiple mine-site projects and monitoring efforts, including a planned rock-grinder demonstration at Columbus Mine, pressure-grouting and conduit assessment at Kohler Mine, and a planned drill and head-height measurement at Bandora (Bandor) to assess the risk of an unplanned release.
Mark (state staff member) told the board that a rock-grinder demonstration at the Columbus Mine is expected in July and invited commissioners and staff to observe. He said the grinder can break large outcropping rock into usable gravel and might be useful on county projects. “He’s gonna be employing that equipment probably around the 10 to 12 day period in July,” Mark said. “If you'd like to come up and see how it performs, I think that the point was … it’s able to go up on places where big baby-head rocks are coming out, and it can just grind those down and make usable gravel.”
Mark also discussed work at the Kohler Mine (referred to in packet materials). He described pressure grouting at an old drill hole that currently contributes the majority of flow from that adit; grouting is intended to reduce that flow. He said agency partners are deciding whether to open a collapsed adit to restore flows or leave it as-is, and added that some of the work near the Longfellow junction involves a low, collapsing adit whose contributions to overall discharge are being evaluated.
On Bandora drilling, Mark said the plan is to re-establish a drill hole behind a collapsed adit to measure the head of the water inside the workings—data the agencies hope will indicate how many gallons of water are stored behind the collapse and whether pressure might build to a point that could cause an unplanned release. “That gives an indication … approximately how many gallons of water are in the mine, and is there a threat of that pressure building up so much that there would be another Gold King or an unplanned release,” Mark said.
Mark said EPA-led drilling had been delayed because the drilling rig returned from a Canadian job and was stopped at the U.S. border; customs was imposing what Mark described as a $300,000 tariff to bring the rig back into the United States. He said contractors are mobilizing another rig from Idaho and expected work to start soon after the new rig becomes available.
Mark also reported that five proposals had been submitted for natural resource damage funding and that the summation of those proposals’ costs was slightly under the funds the program had set aside, removing an immediate internal competition for limited project money.
Other agency work Mark mentioned included plans to consolidate contaminated soils and cap lead-affected areas at Prospect Gulch and conduct revegetation; portal and tailings work at assorted mine areas; and monitoring and planning for trailhead and campground waste and sanitation infrastructure in alpine zones.
Ending
County commissioners and staff were invited to observe the Columbus Mine grinder demonstration in July and requested follow-up on the timing of Bandora drilling once a replacement rig is mobilized. County staff said they would coordinate with state and federal partners on schedules and public notices.
