Opal Group Inc.
Manning Canyon
Bureau of Land Management
Cedar Fort, UT
Opal was selected by the U. S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to remediate the lead-contaminated Manning Canyon Site in the Oquirrh Mountains of Utah County, Utah. The site, accessible from State Highway 73, is located approximately 40 miles south of Salt Lake City and three miles south of Cedar Fort, Utah.
Approximately 720,000 cubic yards of mill tailings and waste rock from historic mining and milling activities were dispersed within a 3-1/2 mile length of drainage, covering an approximate area of 66 acres. The tailings and waste rock contain elevated concentrations of lead and arsenic, posing a threat to human health and the environment.
The multimillion dollar remedy consists of excavating the tailings and waste rock from six primary affected areas of the site and hauling those tailings for consolidation in a newly constructed 500-foot wide 1,500-foot long repository situated in the upper reaches of the site. Upon completion of hauling of the wastes, the repository was capped with geotextiles, gravel drainage layer and select fill layer and revegetated to minimize precipitation infiltration to the wastes. Surface water control structures were stabilized with rock and vegetation, as appropriate, and the repository fenced to maintain institutional control of the wastes in the future.
Type of Construction: Repository Construction, Lead, Earthmoving
Size: 720,000 cyds
Services: Mine Reclamation
Related Projects: Tailing Pond Cap, Leach Pond Closure
