Mining News: Northern Neighbors: Alexco treats water at EPA triggered spill

Alexco Resource Corp. Oct. 20 said its wholly owned subsidiary, Alexco Environmental Group, has completed the construction and initiated operation of a 1,200-gallon-per-minute interim water treatment facility at the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colo. The abandoned Gold King Mine is where more than 3 million gallons of metals-laden water was released during an Aug. 5 site investigation led by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Alexco Environmental Group’s contract to design, construct and automate an interim water treatment plant at Gold King is part of an emergency response and removal action being conducted by the EPA. Alexco Environmental Group, whose parent company owns the historic high-grade Keno Hill Silver District in the Yukon Territory, provides mine-related environmental services to government and industry clients. Alexco’s water treatment plant design was selected due to its proven capability to address water treatment residuals during cold weather operations with a highly automated plant-wide control system, enabling 24-hour operation at low cost and high reliability. The environmental group completed the construction of the treatment system within a required three week period, and is now entering a four-week testing period during which the plant will be optimized and further winterized in anticipation of the harsh conditions expected at 10,500 feet in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado.

- Shane Lasley