Some of you may have noticed some barge activity near the Chelan boat company as Rio Tinto officials gear up for another prep year for the Holden Mine Clean Up site.

 

Along with Rio Tinto, the ambitious project is directed by the US Forest Service in cooperation with the Washington Department of Ecology and the EPA to clean up contaminants that were left over from the Howe Sound Mine.

 

The cleanup is largely concerned with keeping contaminants out of the ground water and surface water- namely, Railroad Creek. A large amount of earth moving and construction will aim to capture all water that comes in contact with the tailings and other contaminated areas.  The water will then be purified in a water-treatment plant before being discharged back into the environment.

 

Elka Missal, Information Assistant for the Chelan Ranger District, told KOZI that earlier this month the Forest Service approved for the continuation of early work projects at the Holden project site.

 

The target years for the “Heavy Construction” years are 2013-2014.  

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