When the Gold King Mine was breached in 2015, spilling toxic metals into the Animas River watershed, TechLaw was instrumental in gathering and assembling a comprehensive assessment package across 19 different mine sites and 32 individual sources to support Bonita Peak Mining District National Priority List (NPL) scoring. Our work included:
- Developing site-specific Health and Safety Plan (HASP) for field oversight, Sampling and Analysis Plans (SAPs) and Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs).
- Sampling soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater for CERCLA site assessment in accordance with USEPA protocol in order to generate legally defensible data for characterizing site sources and documenting targets as necessary for any pathways of concern.
- Conducting file reviews, meeting support, site reconnaissance, work plan and report development, laboratory coordination, field sampling and data review.
- Evaluating historical documents and data to prepare Quickscore 3.1 scoresheets.
- Preparing technical reports to support CERCLA site assessment activities. AlterEcho also attends technical meetings.
Throughout this highly scrutinized process, TechLaw coordinated with a large team from USEPA Region 8 and USEPA Headquarters, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the US Geological Survey, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, site stakeholders, and other contractors.