Chapter 6 - Occurrence of public health and environmental hazards and potential remediation of arsenic-containing soils, sediments, surface water and groundwater at the Lava Cap Mine NPL Superfund site in Nevada County, California

Abstract

The Lava Cap Mine Superfund site area is highly contaminated with tailings that contain elevated arsenic (As). This As is a threat to human health and can be caused through contact recreation and potentially contaminated groundwater. The chapter suggests that work needs to be done to define the existing and potential groundwater pollution that has occurred because of the Lava Cap Mine and its tailings. Besides the threat to human health, the tailings are also a threat to aquatic and terrestrial life by As and a variety of other heavy metals derived from the former mining activities. There are concerns about the adequacy of minimum Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) landfills to be able to prevent further environmental pollution by the land-filled tailings and soils because of the As containing leachate that will be generated within the landfill that will ultimately pass through the landfill liner system into the underlying groundwater system. Provisions should be made in remediation of the Lava Cap Mine site to ensure that the remediation approach adopted provides for a high degree of protection of public health and environment.