Anaconda - What’s happening at the Site?

NDEP conducted an informational public meeting in Yerington on December 4, 2023. Major tasks completed since the 2018 NPL Deferral include the completion of all remedial investigations for the site Operable Units. In addition, most of the risk assessments for the site have been completed and approved by NDEP. Two risk assessment reports, the first for the groundwater Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) and the second for the Pit Lake Operable Unit 2 (OU-2) are slated for completion by the year-end 2023. 

The OU-8 areas (former Arimetco Heap Leach Operations) were the subject of the Phase 1 remediation mandated under EPA Record of Decision 1 (ROD 1; 2017) and NDEP ROD 1A (2021). The bulk of construction activities associated with Phase 1 remediation have been completed by October 2022, including the construction of 5 new, double-lined heap leach drain down fluid evaporation ponds, and the regrading and capping of the copper heap leach pads that were operated by Arimetco from 1989–1999. Current activities include ongoing site maintenance and security, including daily oversight by Atlantic Richfield of the heap leach pad fluid management system.

Phase 2 of the Site clean-up will be implemented pursuant to ROD 2 for the Northern Operable Units. After all risk assessments are complete and approved, the feasibility study (FS) process for assessment of remedial alternatives will commence in 2024. The FS and ROD 2 for the Phase 2 of site clean-up is slated for completion in 2025. The Fact Sheet below outlines the FS process for ROD 2.

Click the link to access the Anaconda Fact Sheet — December 2023 [pdf, 423KB]

Operable Units Map and List

Closure Phases and Records of Decision

Closure Schedule