COMMON
QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
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Volume 6, Number 1 (April 2001)
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Q: |
Is the water level in the Pit
rising according to predictions? |
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A: |
No. Due to the suspension of mining in July
2000, more water has been entering the Berkeley Pit in the past
nine months than was expected. The extra water (about three to
four million gallons a day) is coming from the Horseshoe Bend
flow, which had been diverted away from the Berkeley Pit since
April 1996 as part of mine operations. Until Montana Resources
starts mining again, or a facility is built to treat the Horseshoe
Bend flow, the water level in the Berkeley will be rising twice
as fast as originally predicted.
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Q: |
If more water than expected
is flowing into the Berkeley Pit, will the Critical Water Level
be reached sooner? |
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A: |
Yes. Montana Resources and ARCO have recently
updated the computer model used to estimate the timeline for
reaching the Critical Water Level of 5,410’ above sea level.
The updated prediction now estimates the water level in the Anselmo
shaft (the highest monitoring point in the system) should reach
5,410’ in about 2018, about three years sooner than was
predicted in 1999.
The new target date is based on two important assumptions: 1)
that mining is permanently suspended, and 2) that treatment of
Horseshoe Bend water will not start until July 2003. But regardless
of the mine's future or when water treatment begins, the model
will be updated every year, with a full accounting of the amount
of Horseshoe Bend water that goes into the Pit, and the timeline
will be revised accordingly.
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Q: |
How does the revised date to
reach the Critical Water Level affect the long-term plan to treat
Berkeley Pit water? |
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A: |
Given the updated prediction that the Critical
Water Level will be reached sooner, EPA has required Montana
Resources and ARCO to revise the timeline to select, design,
build and operate a facility for treating Berkeley Pit water.
All milestones have been pushed forward by three years. For example,
the design for the water treatment facility must be initiated
during 2010, and the facility must be completed and operational
by 2014.
In addition, as required under the Record of Decision, the companies
were expected to re-evaluate appropriate water treatment technologies
when the water level in the Pit reached the 5260’ elevation.
That level was expected to be reached in 2007, but now, the new
prediction is late-2004. As a result, the decision to select
a treatment method will also be made three years sooner.
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Q: |
Who would be responsible for
water treatment if the mine closes permanently? |
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A: |
Under a clear EPA order, both Montana Resources
and ARCO are responsible for treating Berkeley Pit water. Under
the Superfund law, if one company is unable to pay its share,
the other company must pay all the costs of cleanup. The company
paying the full cleanup costs would likely take some legal actions
to recover a fair share of those costs from the other company.
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