GOLD KING MINE SPILLNEW MEXICO LONG-TERM IMPACT TEAM

2016 END-OF-YEAR SUMMARY

Dennis McQuillanChief ScientistNew Mexico Environment Department

November 28, 2016

New Mexico’s TeamMulti-jurisdictional agencies appointed by Governor Martinez, along with top science and engineering experts recruited from within the state, are working together to protect water quality and public health in NM.

San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District

Animas River Watershed System3

Progress in 2016 - Monitoring4

Alluvial aquifer mapping and well sampling Continued river-water and sediment sampling Installation of multi-parameter sondes in rivers X-ray fluorescence (XRF) survey of metals in

sediment Solids analysis for minerals Crop tissue survey Fish-tissue and benthic macroinvertebrate surveys Lead-contaminated aquifer sediment investigated Biomonitoring of metals in urine and well water

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Standards and Guidelines

Lead Arsenic Cadmium Aluminum Zinc

Drinking Water1, mg/L 0.015 0.01 0.005 0.05 to 0.2 5

Groundwater2, mg/L 0.05 0.1 0.01 5 10

Livestock Water3, mg/L 0.1 0.2 0.05 -- 25

Irrigation Water3, mg/L 5 0.1 0.01 5 2

Aquatic Life, chronic3, mg/L

0.005 0.15 0.00075 3.541 0.228

Residential Soil4, mg/Kg 400 35 71 77,000 23,000

1 US EPA National Drinking Water Standards, https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/table-regulated-drinking-water-contaminants2 NM Water Quality Control Commission, Groundwater Standards, 20.6.2.3103 NMAC, http://164.64.110.239/nmac/parts/title20/20.006.0002.htm3 NM Water Quality Control Commission, Stream Standards, http://164.64.110.239/nmac/parts/title20/20.006.0004.htm4 US EPA Risk Based Screening Levels, https://www.epa.gov/risk/regional-screening-levels-rsls-generic-tables-may-2016

Aquifer Characterization 6

On a seasonal basis, water levels measured in 80 wells, water quality samples collected in 20 wells

Animas is a gaining stream regionally, with potentially losing segments locally, particularly in winter when water table is lowest.

River and Sediment Testing7

Animas River near Silverton, March 2016

Animas River sediment near DurangoFebruary 2016

3,100 mg/Kg lead

River water sampled by City of Farmington and NMED during spring runoff

River Sondes8

Sondes installed in the river for flow rate, turbidity, pH, specific conductance, & temperature

Real-time sonde data published on USGS website http://nm.water.usgs.gov/projects/gold.king.mine/

Grab samples at sonde locations for metals and general chemistry

XRF Survey9

Provides direct reading of heavy metals in sediment

Ten % samples also collected for NM Department of Health, State Lab, to confirm field tests

Solids Analysis10

Jarosite grains contain aluminum, lead, zinc, and other metals that can be released as jarosite becomes unstable at higher pH.

Jarosite crystals

Clay-rich material

Water-Table Mineralization at Aztec Drinking Water Diversion Channel

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2,400 mg/kg lead in mineral layer

Evidence that surface water contaminants entered groundwater near the river

Monitoring Results, So Far12

Heavy metal concentrations in river water are safe for both irrigation and livestock watering

High flow continues to stir up metals in the Animas River, creating treatment concerns for public water systems

Alluvial aquifer contained high iron and manganese before GKM spill

No evidence that GKM spill contaminated water wells Sediment survey from GKM into Navajo Nation shows

high metals still in Colorado, decreasing downstream Crop and fish tissue testing shows no high metals No unusual livestock or wildlife distress, illness, or

mortality observed

Progress in 2016 – Public Outreach13

Citizens’ Advisory Committee NMED website maintained and updated

https://www.env.nm.gov/river-water-safety/ Spring Runoff Preparedness Plan and first

responder training Exposure and Risk Dashboard First Annual Conference on Animas and San Juan

Watersheds Long term impact team members published 21

papers and conference abstracts

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Seated by NMED in 2015 to provide stakeholder input

Highly qualified and motivated members

Monthly meetings in 2016

Citizen’s Advisory Committee

Citizen “eyes and ears” sediment sampling kits being distributed to the public.

Spring Runoff Preparedness

Plan

March 24, 2016https://www.env.nm.gov/riverwatersafety/documents/animasspringrunprepplan.pdf

Will need to revisit and reissue plan for 2017 runoff season.

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Animas and San Juan Exposure and Risk

Dashboard (Updated

9/20/2016)

https://www.env.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Animas-San-Juan-Risk-Dashboard.-2016.09.20.pdf

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Animas and San Juan Exposure and Risk

Dashboard

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Over 130 participants attended the 2016 conference

Conference proceedings included 37 abstracts

Animas and San Juan Watersheds Conference

Progress in 2016 – Publications19

Publishing test and investigation results is important for transparency of Long Term Impact Team activities, and for obtaining peer review and discussion of findings.

During 2016, New Mexico Long Term Impact Team Members published two papers and 19 conference abstracts that specifically addressed the GKM spill.

Papers Rodriguez-Freire L., Avasarala, S. , Ali, A.M.S, Agnew D., Hoover, J.H., Artyushkova, K.,

Latta D.E., Peterson E.J., Lewis, J., Crossey, L.J., Brearley, A.J. and J.M. Cerrato, 2016, Post Gold King Mine Spill Investigation of Metal Stability in Water and Sediments of the Animas River Watershed, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2016, 50 (21), pp 11539–11548. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.6b03092

Timmons, S., Mamer, E. and C. Pokorny, 2016, Groundwater Monitoring Along the Animas River, New Mexico: Summary of Groundwater Hydraulics and Chemistry from August 2015 to June 2016, N.M. Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Technical Report. https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/resources/water/amp/brochures/FTR_Animas_River_Sept_2016_LR.pdf

WRRI 2016 Conference Abstracts20

Proceedings, N.M. Water Resources Research Institute Conference, Environmental Conditions of the Animas and San Juan Watersheds With Emphasis on Gold King Mine and other Mine Waste Issues, May 17-18, 2016, Farmington, NM. https://animas.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/2016/abstracts/oral-presentations/ Agnew, D., Yurdin, B. and D. McQuillan, 2016, Total and Dissolved Surface Water Metals – Post Gold King Mine Spill Trends

in the Animas and San Juan Rivers.

Coyle, A, Malczewska-Toth, B. and H. Krapfl, 2016, Stories from the Field: Biomonitoring in San Juan County, NM – October 2015.

Flynn, R., Kliphuis, T., McQuillan, D. and A. Majure, 2016, New Mexico’s Response to the Gold King Mine-Water Spill.

Gomez-Velez, J., Cadol, D. and A. Luhmann, 2016, Initial Assessment of the Gold King Mine Spill: The Role of Sediment Transport and Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions.

Lombard, K., Ulery, A., Francis, B., Weindorf, D.C., Duda, B. and C. Millares, 2016, Rapid Assessment of Soil Metal Concentrations Along the Animas River, New Mexico.

Lombard, K., Ulery, A., Hunter, B. and S. Fullen, 2016, What are the Effects of the Gold King Mine Spill on San Juan County, NM Agricultural Irrigation Ditches and Farms?

Mamer, E. Timmons, S., and C. Pokorny, 2016, Animas River Groundwater Level Monitoring After the Gold King Mine-Water Release of 2015.

May, M., 2016, Before the River Turned Orange: Bacteria and Nutrient Pollution in the Animas and San Juan Rivers.

McLee, P., Avasarala, S., Rodriguez-Freire L., Cerrato, J. and A. Schuler, 2016, Examination of Sediment Microbial Communities in the Animas River Watershed Following the Gold King Mine Spill, 2016.

McLemore, V.T., 2016, Geologic Setting and History of Mining in the Animas River Watershed, Southern Colorado.

McQuillan, D., Agnew, D., Sypher, D., Montoia, P. and M. Peterson, 2016, Turbidity as an Indicator of Heavy-Metal Contamination in the Animas and San Juan Rivers.

Rodriguez-Freire L., Avasarala, S., Ali, A.M.S, Hoover, J.H., Artyushkova, K., Peterson E., Crossey, L., Brearley, A., Cerrato, J.M., Agnew D. and D. Latta, 2016, Investigation of Metal Persistence in Sediments of the Animas River Watershed After the Gold King Mine Spill.

Timmons, S., Mamer, E. and C. Pokorny, 2016, Monitoring the Animas River Alluvial Aquifer Groundwater Chemistry after the Gold King Mine 2015 Mine-Water Release, 2016.

Other Conference Abstracts21

Blake, J.M., Timmons, S.S., Bexfield, L.M., Brown, J. and E. Mamer, 2016, Surface-Water and Groundwater Quality in Northwestern New Mexico After the Gold King Mine Release, Proceedings, Geological Society of America, Annual Meeting, September 25-28, 2016, Denver CO. https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2016AM/webprogrampreliminary/Paper280445.html

McQuillan, D., 2016, Hydrologic and Geochemical Conditions in the Animas River Watershed, Proceedings, American Institute of Professional Geologists, 53rd National Conference, September, 10-13, 2016, Santa Fe, NM. http://aipg.org/images/Events/2016/ProgramSantaFeNM2016.pdf

Rodríguez-Freire, L., Avasarala, S., Ali, A.S., Agnew, D., Hoover, J.H., Artyushkova, K., Latta, D.E., Peterson, E., Lewis, J., Crossey, L.J., Brearley, A.J., Cerrato, J.M., 2016, Post Gold King Mine spill investigation of metal persistence in sediments of the Animas River watershed, American Vacuum Society, New Mexico Chapter Symposium, May 24, 2016, Albuquerque, NM.

Rodríguez-Freire, L., Avasarala, S., Ali, A.S., Agnew, D., Hoover, J.H., Artyushkova, K., Latta, D.E., Peterson, E., Lewis, J., Crossey, L.J., Brearley, A.J., Cerrato, J.M., 2016 Post Gold King Mine spill investigation of metal persistence in water and sediments of the Animas River watershed, Gordon Research Conference and Seminar, Environmental Sciences: Water, June 24 – July 1, 2016, Holderness, NH. (Poster Paper)

Rodríguez-Freire, L., Avasarala, S., Ali, A.S., Artyushkova, K., Peterson, E., Crossey, L., Brearley, A.J., Cerrato, J.M., 2016, Investigation of the Gold King Mine spill impact In water and sediments downstream of the Animas River, 251st American Chemical Society Meeting and Exhibition, March 12-20, 2016, San Diego, CA.

Rodriguez-Freire L., Avasarala, S., McLee, P., Artyushkova, K., Brearley, A., Peterson E., Crossey, L.J., Latta, D., Ali, A.M.S, Schuler, A. and Cerrato, J.M., 2016, Biogeochemical Processes Affecting Metal Cycling Along the Animas River, Proceedings, Geological Society of America, Annual Meeting, September 25-28, 2016, Denver CO. https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2016AM/webprogrampreliminary/Paper286555.html

Monitoring Priorities for 201722

Solids characterization

Riverbed and shallow alluvium interactions

Investigation of Aztec water-table mineralization

Targeted sampling of well water and crops in the area north of Aztec, east of Animas River

Continue testing surface during high stream-flow events

Conduct independent transport and fate analysis of metals in the watershed

Other Priorities for 201723

Pursue full funding for all elements of Long Term Monitoring Plan

Perform a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Pursue Restoration Funds

2nd Annual Animas Watershed Conference scheduled for June 20-22, 2017 https://animas.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/2017/

Support Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund investigation and cleanup, while demanding that EPA: 1. use sound science;2. be honest with the public; and3. treat residents downstream from Colorado as stakeholders

throughout the Superfund process.