Region 8
Serving Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 27 Tribal Nations
Superfund Program
National Information
Regional Information
Site Information
National Priorities List (NPL) History
Proposed Date
July 1991
Final Date
April 1997
Annie Creek Mine Tailings
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Site Type: Withdrawn from Proposed NPL City: Lead County: Lawrence Street Address: SC 3 - TS4N - R2E Zip Code: 57783 EPA ID#: SDD987666013 Site ID#: 0800929 Site Aliases: Annie Creek Mine & Processing, Reliance Tailings, Wharf Resources, Inc. Congressional District(s): At Large |
Site Description
The Annie Creek Mine Tailings site (Site) is located in the Black Hills of western South Dakota, 3.5 miles west of the twin cities of Lead and Deadwood, where mining and milling in the area have been ongoing since the 1800s. The Site consisted of about half an acre of tailings, remnants from the Reliance Mining Company's old cyanide mill that operated intermittently between 1906 and 1917. These tailings were originally deposited in a timber "crib" dam just below the headwaters of Annie Creek. Floods and erosion deposited arsenic-bearing tailings and sediment in the water, about a mile below the confluence of Annie Creek and Spearfish Creek.
EPA proposed the Site for the National Priorities List (NPL) in July 1991. However, this proposal was never finalized. Site cleanup was completed in 1994 before the listing became final, and EPA withdrew the proposal in April 1997.
Site Risk
Arsenic was the contaminant of concern at the Site, as it was detected most often and at the highest concentrations. Long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic may increase the risk of skin cancer, neurological effects and vascular disease.
| Media Affected | Contaminants | Source of Contamination |
| Soil, surface water, sediment | Arsenic | Mine and mine tailings |
Cleanup Progress
The following cleanup activities were completed in 1994 by the potentially responsible party (Wharf Resources, Inc. USA):
- Capping an exposed area of arsenic contaminated mine tailings with clean soil.
- Revegetating the soil cap.
- Diverting surface water runoff from Annie Creek.
- Monitoring surface water and groundwater through State permits.
Post Construction Activities
Current operation & maintenance activities include implementation of institutional controls to control land use by the caretaker of the Black Hills National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service.
Community Involvement
Cleanup was completed in 1994. There have been no recent community involvement activities.
Contacts
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EPA Kathie Atencio John Dalton |
South Dakota Mark Lawrensen |
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View Documents at: EPA Superfund Records Center Lawrence County Register of Deeds |