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Remove Mine Tailings
Habitat Improvement | 52
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Definition
Work to remove or re-contour remnant landscape effects from old mining operations. Could be terrestrial or aquatic in nature.
Deliverables (recommended)
- # of acres treated and/or # of river miles treated (placer mining)
Rules and Examples (work element scenarios and associated rules)
Rule 1 (Environmental Compliance): NEPA, ESA, and other environmental
compliance work should be split out as a separate work element under WE#
165, Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation. Completion of this
work will be a milestone under WE# 52, Remove Mine Tailings. Any work done by
BPA should be addressed with a work element from the BPA Internal Operations
work category.
Example: Note: this WE requires a land audit by BPA due to the high probability of mercury remaining in some mine tailings.
WE: Remove Mine Tailings
WE Title: Smith River - remove tailings from River Mile 34 to 35
WE: Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation
WE Title: NEPA compliance for mine tailings removal
WE Description: Provide documentation to BPA Environmental Compliance
contact for mine tailings removal.
WE: Land Audit
WE Title: BPA work on Smith River mine tailings removal
WE Description: BPA's Pollution Prevention and Abatement group to perform hazardous material survey on Smith River from RM 34 to 35 for mine tailings project.
Rule 2 (Location of work): Each non-contiguous area or stretch of project
area requires its own work element. This is due to metrics reporting requirements
for projects in different locations.
Note that different locations do not need
to be separated into multiple environmental compliance work elements.
Example:
WE: Remove Mine Tailings
WE Title: Smith River - remove tailings from River Mile 34 to 35
WE: Remove Mine Tailings
WE Title: Smith River - grade tailings from River Mile 39 to 42
WE: Remove Mine Tailings
WE Title: Remove mine tailings blocking Winsome Creek
WE Description: Remove .5 acre of mine tailings blocking Winsome Creek.
Rule 3 (Metrics): If you are doing multiple types of activities/projects at one location, be sure to list them in separate appropriate work elements so that we can capture the different metrics.
Example:
WE: Remove Mine Tailings
WE Title: Remove mine tailings blocking Winsome Creek
WE Description: Remove .5 acre of mine tailings blocking Winsome Creek.
WE: Remove/Install Diversion
WE Title: Remove Winsome Mine push-up dam
WE Description: Remove 25-foot earthen push-up dam on Winsome Creek.
WE: Remove Vegetation
WE Title: Scotch broom removal at Winsome Creek (year 1 of 3)
WE Description: All Scotch broom mechanically removed on 3-acre Winsome Mine footprint.
WE: Conduct Controlled Burn
WE Title: Scarify soil around Winsome Mine
WE Description: 3-acre controlled burn to mineral soil around Winsome Mine.
Milestones (may include)
- Environmental compliance requirements complete
On-the-ground work associated with this work element cannot proceed until this milestone is complete. Milestone is complete when final documentation is received from BPA environmental compliance staff (completion can be based on pre-existing environmental documentation from BPA).
- Determine size and area of work site
- Request BPA land audit
- Land audit performed, report written
- Write MOU/MOA contract
- Obtain agreement of landowner
- Write and advertise bid package
- Choose contractor
- Work performed
- Follow-up inspection/sign-off on work
Metrics
| Metric |
Metric Type |
Metric Guidance |
Metric
Required |
Metric
Type |
Metric
Precision |
| 1407 |
Was barrier Full or Partial? |
Applies to the removal of mine tailings in aquatic habitat. |
Optional |
list |
|
| 1408 |
Did the tailings create a fish passage barrier? |
Applies to the removal of mine tailings in aquatic habitat. |
Required |
list |
|
| 1441 |
# of miles of habitat accessed to the next upstream barrier(s) or likely limit of habitable range |
Self-Explanatory |
Required |
number |
0.01 |
| 1515 |
# of acres of upland non-wetland habitat treated |
Identify the total acres of habitat treated in this habitat zone. Upland Habitat Non-Wetland: Habitat uphill of the riparian and instream habitat zone with non-hydrophilic plants. This habitat zone excludes wetland habitat. |
Required |
number |
0.01 |
| 1516 |
# of acres of upland wetland habitat treated |
Identify the total acres of habitat treated in this habitat zone. Upland Wetlands: Wetlands within the upland habitat zone are habitat that is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic where the water table is usually at or near the land surface or land that is covered by shallow water. Wetlands have one or more of the following characteristics: at least periodically, the land supports predominantly hydrophytic plants; the substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil; and the substrate is non-soil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at sometime during the yearly growing season. These wetlands are typically considered isolated wetlands which do notinteract with the hyporheic zone, which is a region beneath and lateral to a stream bed. |
Required |
number |
0.01 |
| 1517 |
# of acres of riparian non-wetland habitat treated |
Identify the total acres of habitat treated in this habitat zone. Riparian/Floodplain: A riparian zone is the transition zone between aquatic and upland habitat. These habitats are related to and influenced by surface or subsurface waters, especially the margins of streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands, seeps, and ditches between land and a stream; and above the average high watermark, or bankfull height. Plant communities along the river margins are called riparian vegetation, characterized by hydrophilic plants. This habitat zone excludes wetland habitat. |
Required |
number |
0.01 |
| 1518 |
# of acres of riparian wetland habitat treated |
Identify the total acres of habitat treated in this habitat zone. Riparian Wetland: Wetlands within the Riparian habitat zone are habitat that is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic where the water table is usually at or near the land surface or land that is covered by shallow water. Wetlands have one or more of the following characteristics: at least periodically, the land supports predominantly hydrophytic plants; the substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil; and the substrate is non-soil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at sometime during the yearly growing season. These wetlands are typically considered connected wetlands that interact with the hyporheic zone, which is a region beneath and lateral to a stream bed. |
Required |
number |
0.01 |
| 1519 |
# of acres of freshwater non-wetland habitat treated |
Identify the total acres of habitat treated in this habitat zone. Freshwater Non-Tidal: Habitat with freshwater flowing in a channel or watercourse, including lakes, ponds, and adjacent areas below the high water mark. This habitat zone excludes wetland habitat. |
Required |
number |
0.01 |
| 1520 |
# of acres of freshwater wetland habitat treated |
Identify the total acres of habitat treated in this habitat zone. Freshwater Wetland Non-Tidal: Wetlands within the instream habitat zone typically on the stream bank are habitat that is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic where the water table is usually at or near the land surface or land that is covered by shallow water. Wetlands have one or more of the following characteristics: at least periodically, the land supports predominantly hydrophytic plants; the substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil; and the substrate is non-soil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at sometime during the yearly growing season |
Required |
number |
0.01 |
| 1563 |
# of barriers in the freshwater zone |
The count of barriers addressed is the total number of fish passage barriers removed at a specified worksite. This is not the number of individual fish passage structure types but the structural blockages as a whole that may be quantified by one Latitude and Longitude and is used to calculate the distance upstream to the next barrier. A barrier in PISCES will be defined as passage barriers created from increased sediment from mine tailings that result in a passage impairment from subsurface flows. |
Required |
number |
1.0 |
| 1564 |
# of barriers in the estuarine zone |
The count of barriers addressed is the total number of fish passage barriers removed at a specified worksite. This is not the number of individual fish passage structure types but the structural blockages as a whole that may be quantified by one Latitude and Longitude and is used to calculate the distance upstream to the next barrier. A barrier in PISCES will be defined as passage barriers created from increased sediment from mine tailings that result in a passage impairment from subsurface flows. |
Required |
number |
1.0 |
Location Guidance
Identify point at approximate center of area where mine tailings were removed.
Environmental Compliance
Applicability and status of the following environmental compliance requirements can be found on the Environmental Compliance tab for that work element in your SOW for all 2007 contracts forward. BPA's Environmental staff will update and maintain this information in Pisces in real time, so that you can check the status of environmental compliance on your project at any time. Note: Many of the fields are set to auto-load in Pisces, but the settings will be reviewed by BPA's Environmental staff prior to the contract being finalized, and may be revised depending on the specific circumstances. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
NEPA coverage for this work element will be identified by BPA's Environmental Compliance Lead. Endangered Species Act (ESA)
ESA consultation is typically required for this work element. National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
NHPA Section 106 consultation is typically required for this work element which often includes a cultural/historic resource survey by a qualified archaeologist. Public Involvement
Public involvement is typically required for this work element. The contractor should work with BPA Environmental staff to document previous or ongoing outreach efforts associated with this work or to develop a public involvement plan.
Associated Work Elements
- WE# 165, Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation
- Ensure environmental compliance milestones end before affected work starts.
Compliance documents, including permits, may have been generated during the
previous contract. If this is the case, it should be mentioned in the work
element description section of WE# 52, Remove Mine Tailings. Example: All
NEPA, ESA, and cultural resource compliance documents have been submitted
and the clearance is on file with Jane Doe, the assigned BPA Environmental
Specialist; documents have also been approved and are on file with the Clearwater
National Forest.
- When identifying and selecting each location, use WE# 114, Identify and Select Projects. If this occurred in the previous contract, it is not mentioned in this one.
- The determination and recommendation of tailings removal protocol is described
under WE# 175, Produce Design and/or Specifications.
If design occurred in a previous contract, do no list a work element for it,
but note it in the work element description section. Example: Grading/removal
work was completed in last contract by FS engineers.
- If agreements and MOUs/MOAs are required, you should list these as milestones
under the Remove Mine Tailings work element, or under the work element they
most directly support.
- If the work enhances or creates a wetland, also use WE# 181, Create, Restore and/or Enhance Wetland.
- If removal of mine tailings modifies an old/existing channel, note it in
the work element description section of this work element. Do not use WE#
30, Realign, Connect, and/or Create Channel because it will duplicate
metrics project data for streams.
- If planting vegetation or seeding after tailings removal; also use WE#
47, Plant Vegetation to capture this work.
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