Analysis of Water Quality Impacts at the Buckhorn Mountain Mine and Recommendations for Improvement

by Stratus Consulting, November 2010

This report responds to contaminant increases that triggered adaptive management in Gold Bowl Creek. The increases are more extensive than previously reported. The report provides an overview of: important events at the mine; violations and orders submitted by Ecology; information on water quality standards and exceedences that have occurred but were not noted by Kinross or Ecology; and adverse environmental effects that have occurred and their current status. The report proposes recommendations for actions that could be taken by Kinross to increase environmental protection.

The use of reverse osmosis has improved the water treatment facility and lowered some contaminants downstream from the discharge points, but others related to blasting have been decreasing more slowly.

OHA Gold Bowl Water Quality Memo (Sent to Ecology)

Comments on the Kinross/Crown Resources June 24, 2010 Letter to the Washington Department of Ecology regarding the Action Plan for Observed Seepage in Gold Bowl Creek. This OHA Memo was sent to Ecology in August 2010.

Comprehensive Matrix of Annual Reporting Requirements

After the first year of mine operation, not only were there were some significant water quality challenges on Buckhorn, but the required annual reporting was incomplete, lacking basic foundational data needed to analyze the mine’s impacts and the accuracy of model predictions. To quantify the inadequacy of the reporting, OHA completed an extensive review of the mine plans and developed a comprehensive matrix of annual reporting requirements. Using this matrix, OHA assessed the degree to which the company satisfied the requirements for Water Year 2008 and presented the results to the Department of Ecology and Kinross.

(Bolster Creek, Surface Water Monitoring SW-13)