A Physical and Chemical Assessment of the Maude Monroe Mine Site

Abstract

The Maude Monroe Mine in Clear Creek County Colorado is an orphaned site and is one of the earliest precious metal mines in Colorado. Because of close location of the site to Interstate 70, the Clear Creek Watershed Foundation (CCWF) desires to turn it into a museum site. As part of the field session course for the environmental engineering option at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), 16 undergraduate students spent one week performing a physical and chemical assessment of the site. The basis for the assessment was the Mine Waste Decision Tree and the physical and chemical assessment tests that have been developed by CSM and the U.S. Geological Survey. The objectives for the session were to familiarize the students with the issues involved with metals in the aquatic environment and to introduce the students to sampling and assessment procedures that can be used during a site visit. The highlight of the week was the site visit. Students were divided into four groups and tasked with performing physical assessments of important mine waste piles, and using the composite- sampling method for sampling those piles. This focused the activities of the students while at the site and provided ample material to use for analytical activities. Different groups were given assignments of: metals analysis, data management, aquatic toxicity, and human toxicity. Finally, each group made a presentation based on their assignment which provided the CCWF useful information to determine what should be done with the site in the future.