Cleanup Objectives: Address metals-contaminated soil at a former mining site

Greener Remediation Strategy:

Constructed a recreational trail serving as a cap for contaminated soil

• Conducted a risk-based assessment to confirm trail interception of exposure pathways for waste left in place
• Demonstrated the trail would not harm adjacent wetlands and streams
• Completed a cultural resource inventory and mitigation plan to meet historic preservation requirements
• Consolidated slag-contaminated soil into a platform running along the site’s former rail and haul-road corridor
• Covered the soil platform with a six-inch layer of gravel spanning a width of 12 feet with additional three-foot shoulders
• Installed six inches of asphalt above the gravel layer

Results:

• Avoided invasive soil excavation and costly offsite disposal
• Reduced consumption and cost of imported construction material through use of contained waste-in-place
• Increased user safety and remedy integrity through trail restriction to non-motorized use
• Relied on an integrated remediation and reuse plan involving extensive community input, donation of land and construction material by the property owner, and long-term trail and remedy maintenance by Lake County, CO

Property End Use: Recreation