CHEVRON QUESTA MINE
QUESTA, NM
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, invites you to attend the community meeting for the Chevron Questa Superfund site. The meeting will be held:
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
VFW Post 7688
2597 North Highway 522
Questa, New Mexico 87556
During the meeting, an update will be provided on current site activities and future cleanup work at the Questa Mine. Following the updates, a question‐and‐answer session will be open to the public. Additional site information is available at the site’s local document repository located at Village of Questa, 2500 Old State Road 3, P.O. Box 260, Questa, New Mexico 87556.
Questions can be directed to Nichole Foster, EPA Remedial Project Manager, at (214)665‐7248 or, foster.nichole@epa.gov; Janetta Coats, EPA Sr. Community Involvement Coordinator, at (214)665‐7308, 1‐800‐533‐3508 (toll‐free), or coats.janetta@epa.gov; or Joseph Fox, NMED Project Manager, at (505)222‐9560 or joseph.fox@env.nm.gov.
This meeting is being held in a fully accessible facility. Should you have specific needs or questions about the facility, please contact Janetta Coats, EPA Sr. Community Involvement Coordinator, at (214)665‐7308, (800)533‐3508 (toll‐free), or coats.janetta@epa.gov.
Para información en español, comuníquese con la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de los Estados Unidos (la EPA) a 1‐800‐533‐3508 (llamada gratis).
On September 28, 2023, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Chevron Mining Inc., entered into a Fourth Amendment to administrative settlement agreement and order on consent ("Agreement") issued on September 26, 2012. This Fourth Amendment set the framework, requirements and schedules for implementing five (5) additional Early Design Actions in accordance with the EPA’s December 20, 2010 Record of Decision (ROD) for the Site, as further delineated in this SOW. The ROD describes EPA’s Selected Remedy. The five design actions are listed below with a brief description of each item.
1.Design of Permanent On-Site Filter Cake Repository for the Mine Site Area Water Treatment Plant
CMI shall evaluate solutions for permanent on-site disposal of filter cake with each disposal location having at least a 30-year capacity. Each location will be permanent and closed in place on the facility. The ROD requires CMI to operate and maintain a Mine Site Area Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and repository for water treatment residuals (filter cake). As part of the approved Questa Water Treatment Plant Operations, filter cake is currently transported by truck to an on-site interim repository. It is anticipated that the interim repository could reach capacity as soon as 2027. CMI shall initiate activities to evaluate long-term solutions for additional filter cake storage with a 30-year capacity. This effort would incorporate pre-design investigations such as civil engineering, geotechnical investigations and analyses, evaluation of stormwater management, and evaluation of requirements.
2. Pre-Design Investigation and Grading/Cover Plan for Historic Buried Tailing at the Tailing Facility
An area of historic buried tailing in a former arroyo is located north of the former dry/maintenance area, where tailing was placed when maintenance of the tailing pipeline was performed. CMI shall initiate pre-design investigations to characterize the extent of this historic buried tailing area. Using the results of the pre-design investigations, CMI shall develop a grading/ cover plan for the area. The grading/cover plan shall be designed to result in positive drainage of stormwater runoff from the cover to the Eastern Diversion Channel.
3. Rough Grading Plan for Tailing Facility Dam 4 Complex
CMI shall develop and implement a rough grading plan for the Tailing Facility for incorporation into the Tailing Facility remedial design. The Dam 4 complex is approximately 450 acres and includes Section 35 (approximately 280 acres) and a historic tailing impoundment (approximately 170 acres). The grading plan shall be designed to result in positive drainage of stormwater runoff without affecting dam integrity. The plan shall consider the long-term drain-down and consolidation of the tailing material, potential borrow source volumes and availability, and appropriate design criteria.
4. Pre-Design Investigations and Preliminary Design for the Remaining Waste Rock Piles
CMI shall initiate pre-design investigations related to geotechnical and stormwater management (among other investigations) to support design development of the remainder of the waste rock piles and the open pit repository. Following the pre-design investigation, CMI shall develop a preliminary design for the remainder of the waste rock piles and the repository.
5. Pre-Design Investigation of South of the Tailing Facility
CMI shall initiate pre-design investigations to better characterize the South of the Tailing Facility Area by collecting soil, vegetation and groundwater data. Current soil and groundwater data from shallow drive point piezometers for the South of Tailing Facility area are greater than 15 years old. Pre-design investigation samples will provide updated information to better design soil and remedial actions
Regulatory Status Update: In June of 2014, the mine ceased operating and began closure operations. Due to the closure decision, CMI requested that EPA manage the NPDES discharges under CERCLA authority. In 2019, EPA notified Chevron that it was initiating the process to change the 2010 ROD to address the discharges under the CERCLA remedy. However, after continued evaluation, EPA has determined that the NPDES permit should be updated and reissued and the proposed 2010 ROD changes will not be made.
Community Resources
Technical Assistance Programs:
Technical assistance refers to the provision of services focused on increasing community understanding of the science, regulations and policy related to environmental issues and EPA actions. To support healthy communities and strengthen environmental protection, EPA works closely with communities to make sure they have the technical help they need.
Technical Assistance Needs Assessment (TANA) Tool: This is a process to identify additional support that a community may require in order to understand technical information and participate meaningfully in the Superfund decision-making process. A TANA helps EPA determine what technical assistance resources and information the Agency can provide to meet community needs.
Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) Program: This program provides services through a national EPA contract. Under the contract, a contractor provides scientists, engineers and other professionals to review and explain information to communities. TASC services are determined on a project-specific basis and provided at no cost to communities.
Partners in Technical Assistance Program (PTAP): Colleges and universities provide voluntary technical assistance to communities through this program.
Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) Program: TAGs are awarded to non-profit incorporated community groups. With TAG funding, community groups can contract with independent technical advisors to interpret and help the community understand technical information about their site. The TAG recipient group is responsible for managing their grant funds and contributing a 20 percent award match. Most groups meet this requirement through in-kind contributions such as volunteer hours toward grant-related activities.
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