HomeMy WebLinkAboutSmuggler Superfund- Radiation SurveyASPIENOPITKIN'
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Jacobs -Ball & Assoc.
Mr. Drake Jacobs
415 E. Hyman
Aspen, Colorado 81611
Re: Radiation Survey of Aspen, Colorado
29WWWWROTITOW
This letter is intended to clarify a memorandum I wrote on
July 31, 1979 concerning the radiation survey. --s'-
,Specifically, 15 micro R/hour to 25 micro-R/hour is considered
an average intensity for Colorado. The 30 and 40 micro R/hour
are considered non -hazardous and infact almost considered equal
to background levels. These readings indicate little or no
uranium or radium present. The source of these levels is
considered to have come from cosomic radiation. 15 micro R/hour
is among the lowest recorded levels in Colorado.
The source for this interpretation came ftom Mr. Robert,,Terry,
Radiation Counting Division of the Colorado Health Department.
I hope this information is helpful.
Sincerely,
'Wkd
Thomas S. Dunlop, Director
Environmental Health Department
CC,. File
130 South Galena Street Aspen, Colorado 81611' 303/925-2020
November 7, 1984
Colorado Health Department
Mr. Bud Franz
222 S. 6th Street
Room 232
Grand Junction, Colorado 81501
Re: Radiation Survey
Dear Bud:
This is a request from our department to have the Colorado Health
Department perform a radiation survey on a piece of County owned
property. The property is approximately 10 acres in size and has
been included in the parcel designated a hazardous waste site by
theEnvironmental Protection Agency. Further, the site is
being converted into a municipal park adjacent to a housing
development which will be occupied within the next year.
Contact this office to arrange a date and time when the survey
can be initiated.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Thomas S. Dunlop, Director
Environmental Health Department
TSD/co/RadiationSurvey
MEMORANDUM
'TO: Fi les
RE- Radiation Survey of Aspen, Colorado
DATE: July 31, 1979
On 'this date a radiation survey of selected areas in Aspen, Colorado
was made by Thomas Dunlop, City of Aspen Environmental Health Officer and
Alvin Watson, Colorado Department of Health Radiation and Hazardous Waste
Division, using Ludlam Micro R Meter, Model 12 S, Serial Number 139194.
Background for this area ranges from 15 micro R/hour to 25 micro R/ho,ur.
The following is a list of the areas surveyed with the maximum reading in
each area.
Maximum Micro R/Hour
I.
Lone Pine South
40
2.
Lone Pine North
30
3.
Smuggler Road - Upper
30
4.
Smuggler Road - Lower
30
5.
Aspen 1
30
6.
City Shops
Background
7-
Water Plant South
Background
8.
Water Plant North
Background
9.
Aspen Villas
Background
10.
Ice Garden
Background
11.
Aspen Ski Club
Background
12.
Little Nell Lift
Background
13,.
Aspen Alps Tennis Courts
Background
14.
Glory Hole Park
Background
See attached map for locations.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas S. Dunlop
Alvin O. Watson
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JAG('18S)"BALL & A";SOCIATES, P.0
AMAINECTS
"715 West Main Street, Suite B
AS,PFN, COLORADO 81611
(303) 925-16016
To
WE ARE SENDING YOU J:K',Attached Ll Under separate cover via
DATE0.
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ATTENTION
RE:'t_1 kja C.
El Shop drawings 0 Prints 0 Plans 0 Samples
Copy of letter
Lj Change order El
the following items:
0 Specifications
COPIES
DATE
Ciq.
DESCRIPTION
THESE ARE TRANSMITTED as checked below.
El For approval
LJ For your use
�d As requested
El Approved as submitted
El Approved as noted
0 Returned for corrections
0 For review and comment El
• Resubmitcopiesfor approval
• Submitcopiesfor distribution
Ll Return —corrected prints
19 El PRINTS RETURNED AFTER LOAN TO US
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REMARKS
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COPY TO / 4
0 SIGNED:— _[�L
PRODM2462 WA M= 01411. If enclosures are not as noted. kindly notify us at once.
. t:Lvjjl
1"I Motor
Grand Junction, Colo 81501
(303) 242-8968
Jacobs -Ball Associates
1900 Wazee Street
Suite 203
Denver, CO 80202
Re: File No. 52229GS
Radiology Survey
Centennial Project
Aspen, Colorado
Gentlemen:
December 14, 1984
On October 19, 1984, Lincoln-D6Vore personnel, with the
assistance of Mr. Drake Jacobs, conducted a radiological survey
of the Centennial Project site. The survey was -conducted using a
Scintillometer obtained from the Grand Junction office of the
Colorado Department of Health (Ludlum Model 12S).
The measurements were taken in accordance with the test
procedures recommended by the Colorado Department of Health
personnel. A copy of the recommended operating procedures are
attached to this letter.
The radiation level was measured at 27 locations on the
Centennial Site. Results of these measurements are as follows:
Meter Reading
-------------
maximum 28 )AR/Hour
Minimum 11 PR/Hour
Mean 20.7 )4R/Hour
Standard deviation = 4.9 )AR/Hour
The Colorado Department of Health has reported that "the
permissible level of radiation from external sources of man-made
radiation in uncontrolled areas for continuous exposure (365
days/year, 24/hours/day), as defined as the lower level of the
U.S. Public Health Surgeon General's guidelines, is 438 mR/Year
above background." (See letter of G. A. Franz to Mr. T. Dunlop
dated November 30, 1984.) The meter readings obtained at this
site include the background radiation. The average reading of
Coloro& Springs, Colorado Pueblo,,Colorodo Grand Junction, Colorudo Glanwo*d Spr;nas, Colorado Evanston, Wyoming
Jacobs -Ball Associates
Radiology Survey
Centennial Project
Aspen, Colorado
December 14, 1984
Page - 2 -
-------------------------
20.7 RR/Hour corresponds to: (20.7)X(24)X(365)/(1000) 181.3
mR/Year.
The measured exposure level of 181.3 mR/Year is less than one-
half the exposure standard. A radiation level of 181.3 mR/Year
does not present a health hazard to residents of the Centennial
Project.
A sketch indicating the test locations is attached for your
reference.
if any questions arise, or if we may be of further service,
please do not hesitate to contact our office at any time.
Respectfully submitted,
LINCOLN-DeVORE TESTING LABORATORY, INC.
x -
Walter E. Vanderpool
Professional Engineer
Grand Junction Office
WEV/jb
2
M30L,1440 Lei
` M• not bang meter against objects or d
2) Keep meter on "OFF" when not in use.
HEALTHOF
Frank A. Traylor, M.D.
Executive Director
3) Put meter in safe, warms and dry place when not in use.
1) Set meter -on "Xl" scale and decontaminate down to a reading of 20 or below"
Background readings are usually 10-16 (a reading above 18 is suspicious)"
Change to "1110" scale when needle passes 30. Expect slightly higher (1-3
points) readings in trench or in corner.. (If property is near the
tailings pile, borrow lead from the Colorado Departbent of Health to
shield the meter.)
2) Move slowly with the meter approximately 1-2 inches off the surface of the.
ground" Walk 5-10 ft. intervals, check banks, dirt piles, holes, etc",
to 10 ft" outside of boundary of exact building site.
3) You cannot tell depth from surface readings"
4) Be careful not to spread, drop, track or allow contaminated material to
blow.
5) Sweeping loose dirt off the surface can often bring a reading of 24 down
to 18® Shine from a nearby "hot" (radioactive) site will cause a. high
reading over a spot that isn't contaminated, so best to -clean-up hotter
areas' first.
6) 'fake contaminated material to the repository at the end of South 15th
Street and Winters Avenue (south of D Road) and sweep all contamination
from the truck bed at the repository.
i) If you have any questions during removal, call our office at 245-2400.
8) After removal has lowered levels to a 20 reading or below, and BEFORE AREA
IS BACKFILLED, call 245-2400 for a site visit by the Colorado Dept" of
Health for verification and documentation of removal which MUSTbe done
before backfilling or grading.
9) Return instrument as soon as possible after removal has been verified by
Colorado Dept" of Health personnel"
125 NORTH,8TiA STREET, GRAND JUNCTION, COLORA,Do 81501 O0(fiO
COLDRAD
Richard D. Lamm
Governor
November M. 1984
Co
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0
DEPARTMENT
XF X
87
Mr. Thomas S. Dunlop, Director
Environmental Health Department
Aspen/Pitkin Environmental Health Dept.
130 South Galena Street
Aspen CO 81611
Dear Tom:
OF Mff'�,�_44 11*i
Thomas Mi. Vernon, M.D.
Executive Director
DEC 3 1984
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
ASPEN/PITKIN
Thank you for your help on November 17 with the gamma survey on the county
property below the old Smuggler Mine.
It looks like the normal gamma field for that area is running from 23 to 28
meter reading on our survey instruments. This equates to an average value of
15 ui terrestrial plus 8 uR/hr cosmic for a total of 23 uR/hr gross gamma
dose rate. This compares to 8 terrestrial + 5 cosmic = 13 uR/hr for the Grand
Junction area. The permissible level of radiation from external sources of
man-made radiation in uncontrolled areas, for continuous exposure (365
days/year - 24 hours/day) as defined as the lower level of the U.S. Public
Health Surgeon General's Guidelines is 438 mR/yr above background. The
measured levels at this site which include background is 202 mR/yr which is
less than one half of the exposure standard.
The granite boulders found in the area do have higher gamma levels which range
f rom 30 to 45 (meter readings). This equates to 25 uR/hr to 33 uR/hr (219 to
289 mR/yr). Granite usually contains the uranium series of radioactive nu-
clides and can thus produce radon. However, most of the radon produced never-
leaves
everleaves the crystaline structure of the rock. Only when the rock is ground to
a fine powder can a significant amount of radon escape to the air. Therefore,
the granite boulders most likely will not pose a radon problem to people oc-
cupying this park, as any escaping radon will be quickly diluted and disbursed
by the air moving over the site.
If you need additional information, please let me know.
A copy of the sketch showing the meter readings is attached for your informa-
tion.
Again, thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
G. A. Franz, III
Project Manager
GAF/zp
Enclosure
cc: Albert J. Hazle, Denver Office
222 SO, 6TH ST., GRAND JUNCTION, CO, 8150 1, ROOM 232 — (303) 248— 7000
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VOL, 4 NC). 17 GRANn JUNCTION, COLO. APRIL 28, 1966 150',
"NIAN 111TV,
s 1)
Game and Fish
Def ends Aspen
Steele covered other Possible
sources of mining pollutton in the
A.-t7en !LTf':;i ,1b C hill of) d Ill I I
Expluratimi got ill t1juch will,
Mine Operations
us over a year ago when they first
started up opnratiuns and they
s
have consirlieLvti Pond,
to hold tailings burls rrurn' 'aSt 10
T!,onipsoit Creek Coal and
C 'oke Co. (in the Crystlil Rivv.r
The recent hullabaloo by con-
have cicano(l up, piles of slack
serv, possible pol-
ationi!its —Or
(`oal that used to be washed into
jkltioij I)f the Roaritig Fork VillIVY
ill(, rivor mid oil in our
'Un" by it mminimcollipluly
Str (1,
tbitL tilt-ri- Joid lwvil wi laolk
Aspen 11MY have tile eff"t of
�sajd
jj?oj!j of pidlildrin froill Pitkill IVIll
Creating a "pilot program" in
which mining and recreation exist
Co. oporaLion-, high on tile moun-
tjLjlj.,, kip (,11�4tjv ('reek,
side by 'side,
Game, hisjj alld Darks T)vpart-
Said SLvele, "if mining coul-
illent personnel made 8117 joveliLi-
parries in tho A.spuri mora work
gaLion of POssibiv. P011uti(In (if tile
will, us oil pollution the way they
Roaring Pork 7 ork River and a tributary
indicate. that they will, we MRY
linitter Cre(lk by the Aspen Coi)-
have a precedent for recreation
Milling a silbsiditkrY
and mining operations working
of oil Ct). 'I'he mining
side by side that can be copied in
fin,) is building a mill and con-
other places."
sorvationi-M-1; in Pitkin and Gar-
Ironically, the. real pollution
fietil County a'ssuniod that mining
problem from mine tailings getting
is ;;(ill jilioing as in the Old d;VYS
into the Roaring Fork River is not
and that tailhirs would he dumped
from tile mining company but from
dirortly hitt, fine fjsjliog stream.,-;.
th,e town of Aspen itself, Steele
J;eorge sArVV'e' area s"l)erViSOr
said. MW -o has been using mat-
f,r (;,111e% l' i,11 and p-jrhs, said
Crial frond the old rnine dumps in
res jar I ain concerned I "it,
the area to sand down icy streets
Coovinct'd that Consolidated Min-
tithe winter time. Whenthe spring
ing Co. is gi)ing to work with I's,
runoffs come, the tailings are
company has conStfuCtVil a'
washed into the river directly
of three settling ponds to
from tlw streets.
series
settle 4111( zinc carbonate which
Darrell T3inghain, water Pollu-
is toxic to fish. We recommended
tion exp(qt for G. F, & P, has re -
that 01,` mining comparly should
commenflod tkut the town of Aspen
spill (ho. botluols of Ille ponds to
should build settling ponds for
Cut down sepa gi. and it) rillrap
its street runoff. The Ponds could
tilt. outsi(li. banks of OW floods to
ht. used as tecreRtional sites, he
keep Ilunter O(eek from usurer-
said..
cutting.""
unly Tyg2 Pago
, 41—
%
TZOW PLANT
TWELE CITY, ITAN
Mr. Dwccur 'Nord 2,f,,v 1950
9.
plant
DcAr Ar: Awo: rurther vark on AM! onneral Gasposin Of
i.-.tymp, st:q 140 Lot 11 assays.,
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you All rccall
Ant, in the lattor
pazu
of 19430
a onnonal
cwposltc
oE 'A':-;n'�q �1,1-"Jpjcs
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work.
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Argil 0=13
G,-incentraticin L'n.,!,Lncc-r
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terms)
the test rowlts may
be comparea as
Toot 40,
Asa& of
M'Cov%!!*�'
0�--
cnt)t
A,
-n
:32,,46
roport. See Shyat I
43.04
75,6
D.3
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1-12
29.4
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ll
nctaorsultn
o
of test work appear in
the attacked enol
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1 4031
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE AS:'EN AREIA.p INCLUDING
M SMUGGLER
MINE.,
PIMIN COLORADO
BY
F. S. Boy d,� Jr. and G • P.
Bromley
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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MUTES ANIS DISTRICTS • m m W • • @ b • • d •
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Geology m •• • • m. • • m • a • •
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Conundrum district m • a • # b • •
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CRETACEOUS AND JURMSIC, SEDIMTS# • • m •
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REPONNAISSANCE OF THE ASPEN AREA, INCLUDING THE SMUGGLER MINE
Pj'nC[N COUNTY., COLCHADO
nt�`�.
A radiometric reconnaissance of sediments,, igneous rocks, and mines
in the Aspen area revealed no significant radioactivity except in the
Smuggler mine near Aspen.
Uranium in the Smuggler mine occurs in a fault breccia composed
of doone blocks and fragments, in a carbonaceous shale
matrixThe: uranium is found in the matrix; associated with it are
variable amounts of lead and zinc sulfides and silver sulfides and
sul-fo--salts. The major uranium mineral is believed to be primary
pitchblende, but positive id .. entification has not been made,""'Scme
.9 1 er
uranium J_s also found in secondary barite that contains free s*lv
and in association with incrustations of g,oslarite (a bydrous zinc
sulf ate),,,
Location and access
The area investigated, which has been designated the Aspen area.,
is in the central part of Pitkin County and the southwestern part of
Eagle County, Colorado (Fig. 2). The area includes the Taylor Pass,,
Montezuma, Ashcroft., Aspen., Conundrum and Lenado mining districts, and
exposures of Jura -Cretaceous sediments north and west of Aspen.
Aspen., the largest town in the area can be reached by State
High4ay 82 from U. S. Highways 6 and 24 ?Fig. 1). The eastern access
to Aspen over State Highway 82 is closed during the winter. Twice -
weekly railway freight service and once -daily passenger bus service
are also available.
G,aaoiogic studies have been made by Spurr Y., Knopf Y., and
Vanderwilt V. During parts of 194L, 1947, and 1948 the U. S. Bareay.
Spurr., J. E. Geology of the Aspen mining districtq Colorado-.
U. S. Geological Survey Mon- 31, 1898p
Knopf., A. Recent developments in the Aspen district.9 Colorado-.
U. S. Geological Survey Bull, 785, Contributions to Economic
Creolog7, 1926.
Vander -Alt, J. W. Revision of structure and stratigraphy of the
Alpe: district., Colorado-. Econ. Geology, vol. 30., No. 3 (1935)
223-2-41.
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GUNNISON CO.--
1A.oroan Bell �
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0128 Pyramid Pk.
140Hoyden'
✓
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ColhedrpV Pk +* �oN7FruNe Sr; pw Taylor Pose
1400 'VINE
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LOCATION 111 AP„ ASPEN A.RI-A``---.— 13419
Pearl Pk
PIG. 2 -idly — '"
7
of Mines V conducted sampling and drilling investigations in relation
to lead and zinc in the Smuggler mine. In 1950, T. P. Anderson, former
assistant chief of the Denver Exploration Branch, examined 'mineral
specimens from the Colorado School of Mines mineral collections and made
a brief reconnaissance of the mines in the Aspen area. Details of
Anderson's findings are discussed under Uranium. Occurrences in the
Smuggler mine.
I
The summer of 1952 was spent conducting a radiometric; reconnaissance
of dumps, prospects, accessible mine workings, and certain sedimentary
outcrops in a search for uranium. A part of the Smuggler mine that
showed significant radioactivity was mapped and sampled in detail. A
scintillation counter was used for surfacereconnaissance, and a Geiger
counter was used underground.
The writers are indebted for help and cooperation. to all those of
the area with whom they came in contact.
Special acknowledgment is due to William and John Herronl.the present
le sees of the Smuggler minep who provided maps and data which would other-
,.,ise have been difficult to obtain and to Mr. Frank Willoughby, General
.1 CD
Manager of the Midnight mine, who was also very helpful in providing useful
data.
SLmmarZ
M
Rocks in the area range in age from pre -Cambrian to Quaternary.
Intrtsion during the Laramide orogeny along the Sawatch and Elk Mountains
,was ace ompanied by- folding and faulting. A local intrusion in the Aspen
district produced doming with accompanying folding and faulting.During
the final stage of this intrusion., metallic sulfides were deposited along
faults and fractures. South of Aspen,, at Ashcroft,, Taylor Pass., and
Conundrum Creek, the granodiorite: intrusive of the Elk Mountains meta-
morphosed the surrounding sediments and produced contact metamorphic
deposits and hypothermal vein deposits. Figure 3 is a generalized
geologic map of the Aspen are'a.
Volin, M. E. and Hild, J. H. Investigation of Smuggler lead -zine
mine, Aspen, Pitkin County, Colorado: U. S. Bureau of Mines,,
Rept. Lavest. 469'6, June 1950.
— 8—
of salver or of silver and Copper® At many places these sulfides
filled slight crevices, in the barite veins subsequent -to the barite
crystallization 9 but at some places sulfides and barite intercrystallized
and the two, overlap in age. The third stage of mineralization was pre-
ceded by renewed faulting and brecciation. Solutions then deposited
large amounts of galena and sphalerite in the breccias. This ore, Mich.
ich
is low in silver, is the "milling ore" of the district. It was during
thin stage of mineralization that the pitchblende is believed to have
been deposited.
Native silver has been found in the Aspen district to depths of '
at least 1000 feet below surface. Spurr reports that the silver occurs
near primary sulfides from which it was dissolved by descending surface
water, and later deposited where these waters reacted with the carbonace:ous
Weber shale matrix of the fault breccias. The silver is generally associ-
ated with pink -colored barite of which several specimens have been found
to be strongly radioactive.
The only other part of the Aspen area for -which there are published
reports is that around Richmond Hill., which forms a southward extension
of the Aspen mining district as mapped by Spurr. This was mapped by
Xnopf V . The ore around Richmond Hill is simi,lar to that in the Aspen
district for the occurrence of tourmaline and quartz. Tourmaline affords
evidence that the ore -depositing solutions were at fairly high temperature,
between me5othermal and hypothermal. The greater abundance of high--
temverature mineral3� such as tourmaline., molybdenite,, and scheelite,
souih-westward toward Ashcroft and Con-u-ndran creek suggests a horizontal
zoning, with temperature increasing from Aspen toward the Elk Mountains
intrusive. This relationship also tends to confirm the generally held
theory . that the: ore -depositing solutions of the Aspen mining district
were derived'from deep-seated intrusions related to the ELk Mountains
granodiorite.
RadioacLiv
The only abnormal radioactivity noted, other than that at the.
Smuggler mineg was on the dump of the Lower Durant tunnel at Aspen.,
and on the dump of the Bi -Metallic tunnel at Lenado, Radioactivity
in the Smuggler mine is discussed on following pages of this report.
In neither of the other two cases was the radioactivity sufficient to
warrant further investigationo
Knopf, A. op. cit.
THE SMUGGIER MINE
Lc,c a t i o n
The Smuggler mine is located 1/2 mile east of Aspen. A graded road
provide5 easy all -year accessibility.
KiStOry axedreduction
The Smuggler workings were begun about 1884 and were allowed to
flood in 1918 following a dispute over power rates. Before the pmps
were: pulled, a maximum of 3500 gallons of water per minute was being
removed through three shafts. From 1918 to 1941 sporadic mining was
conducted by various lessees. From 1941 to 19,48 the Herron br,others�
the current lessee!s and operators of the mine.,' operated a small gravity
concentration mill with ores selected from the.Smuggle:r and Mollie
GLbsoin dumps, and conductedexploratory work in the Smuggler No. 2
turaiel. During 1946., 1947, and 1948 the U. S, Bureau of Mines con-
ducted sampling and drilLing investigations in relation to lead and
zinc In '5he No. 1 and No. 2 tunnels. In 1948 the Anaconda Copper
Mining Ccmpany did considerable ' explar ' atio�n in the Smuggler mine and
the Lower Durant tunnel in Aspen Mountainq but the information that
it obtained is not available., and many of the drifts and crosscuts made
by Anaconda ha)re since caved. In the sunmer, of 1952 -the Herron brothers
re,3umed milling and exploratory work.
Up to 1918, $20,000.,000 in lead., silvers and zinc are had been
recovered from the mine,, Lctraordinary amounts of free silver were
encountered in the Smuggler and in the adjoining Molly Gibson mine.
In 1894., a one -ton silver nugget was recovered from the Holly Gibson,
and several other nuggets each of 100 pounds or more., were removed
C.
from each of the mines.
Mine worki
Figuze 5 shows a plan and vertical section of the uppermost levels
of the St ggler mine. At present., only 250+,feet of workings in the
Smuggler mine are above water; these are in the No. I and No® 2 tunnels.
Water now stands 20 feet below No. I tunnel. Below the present water
level there are nearly 75,000 feet of workings on 18 levels covering a
vertical range of 1400 feet in Smuggler Mountain. These workings are
connected under the Roaring Fork Valley with an additional 40,000 feet
of workings in Aspen Mountain.
fan; Of the workings above the water level are now caved or L -1 -
accessible. No. I tunnel is caved 2000 feet from its portal. A
smoldering fire has been burning near the heading of No. 2 t=el
since 1900. Bulkheads keep the fire from spreading, but high tempera-
ture and bad air pre -vented an examination of workings farther than m.
- 14-
0
al
1500 feet from the portal of this tunnela An attempt by the Bureau of
Mines to reopen the higher No, 3 tunnel in 1947 proved too costly and
was abandoned. Many of the stapes adjacent to the accessible tunnels
are ago caved. Consequently., only a small portion of the total workings
of the mine could be examined.
The writers conducted a thorough radiometric reconnaissance of
accessible workings in the Smuggler mine and made a detailed map of the
geology in accessible workings along the zone of mineralization. Com-
prehensive chip samples were taken along zones of radioactJ.v-.Lty to
establish an estimate of ore reserves. Selected chip samples from
spots of unusually high radioactivity, and a few grab samples from
various spots in the breccia were also taken. A program of percussion
drilling was proposed to determine grade and extent of uranium ore in
the vicinity of Kassick stupe.
The only rocks exposed in the accessible workings of the mine are
the Devonian Dyer dolomite., the Mississippian Leadville dolomite, the
Pennsylvanian Weber shale and limestone,, and the post-Pennsyl-,ranian
albite porphggr.
The Dyer dolomite member of the Chaffee formation is a medium- to
thin -bedded dolomite with a crude conchoidal fracture; it is blue -gray
where fresh, and yellow to brown where -weathered.
Of the Leadville formation, only the lower massive, dolomite member
was found in the mine. The upper blue limestone member,, which is
present to the south, apparently lenses out northward under the Roaring
Fork Valley before it reaches Smuggler Mountain.
The Weber formation consists of a series of thLn., gray to black.,
carbonaceous limestones and shales. The dark carbonaceous limestones
weather to a black mud. The shales are incompetent and they show many
slippage faces and drag folds. In much of the Weber formation, pyrite
occurs as a replacement along bedding planes.
Post -Pennsylvanian albite porphyry forms a sheet 40 feet thick
which lies nearly parallel to the bedding at and near the base of the
Weber formation. The porphyry, as observed in the Anaconda and Zaugg
crosscuts, is a white fine-grained rock which is highly altered and com-
plexly faulted. It contains finely disseminated cubes of pyrite and,
in the Anaconda -crosscut, a few small stringers of galena were found.
The pr1nApal structural features observable in the Smuggler mine
arm two seta of faults. In one set, the faults are parallel,, or nearly
50, to the bedding; they strike northeast and dip from 50 to 7,0 degrees
northwest. In the other set., the faults strike northwesterly across the
bedding and dip from 50 to 70 degrees -southwest. The -beds trend north-
east and dip from 50 to 70 degrees northwest. Associated with the faults
is breccia with two orientations, one parallel to the bedding along or
near the Leadville-Weber contact and the other along the cross -faults.
It could not be determined whether the more extensive brecciation along
the Leadville-Weber contact is due to, the nature of the rocks or to more
extensive movement along the contact.
The major orebodies and, all the observed stapes occur where cross -
faults intersect the Leadville-Weber contact. These cross -faults and
the breccia along the Leadville-Weber contact afforded channels for the
ore -depositing solutions. Details of the ore localization are the same
as those discussed in Ore Deposits, under General Geology.
Uranium occurrences
Spotty occurrences of radioactive material are found in the
accessible workings of the Smuggler mine. All but one of the occurrences
appear to be too small to have economic value.
At 800 feet inward from the portal of No. 1 tunnel (Fig. 5)
stalagmites of goslarite (a hydrous zinc sulfate) are found encrusting
the dolomitic, walls and' ceiling. The color of the crust varies from a
flat white to a yellowish -green. The crust was found to be radioactive
in direct proportion to the intensity of the yellow color. One selected
sample assayed 1.27 per cent U308. An examination of a sphalerite body
100 feet above the No. I level revealed no abnormal radioactivity. This
indicates that the zinc and uranium did not necessarily come from a
common source.
All other occurrences of radioactivity - are in the breccia zone along
the Leadville- Weber contact adjacent to the` Weber hanging walls One "
occurrence is in the Irish stupe between No. 1 and No. 2 tunnels (Figs. 5
and 6)a Spotty occurrences of radioactive material are associated with
galena, sphalerite., and silver in the matrix of the breccia of dolomite
and shale. .Since the uranium is found only in small spots on the walls,
it appears likely that most of it was removed during stuping. Two
selected samples assayed 1.04 and 0.37 per cent U308, but the spots are
small and widely separated, and the quantity is too small to be considered
orao
The �,,ost important occurrence is in the Kassick scope, a small stupe
off the Anaconda crosscut,, 20 feet from where the latter intersects
No. 2 turrel (Fiss. 5 and 6). The uranium here occurs in the same manner
as in the Irish scope,, but because of limited stoping, little of thai",
originally present has, been removed and uranium are may now be present in
mineable amounts.
Figure 7 is a geologic plan and vertical section of the Kassick stope.
It is actually a winze inclined at 30 degrees,, starting 14 feet above the
Anaconda crosscut and following the breccia-dolomite contact down dip for
45 f eeto At -the bottom of the incline a vertical winze continues downward
for another 15 feet.
In the Kassick scope,, uranium occurs in the black., carbonaceous matrix
of the breccia., which also contains galena, sphaleri-;U-e`and silver. The
uranium mineral cannot be distinguished megascopically� and the uraniferous
portions of the breccia cannot be recognized except with a Geiger counter®.
The uranium mineral is believed to be pitchblende., but it is too fine to
enable positive identification by microscopeo
Uranium. excepting that in the goslarite coatings, appears to be
3-ocalizad at or near the hanging walls of the cross -faults. In the Irish
stope, all of the radioactive spots were found on the back or sides nearest
the hanging wall of the fault,, and radioactivity diminished toward the
footwall,, The massive unmineralized barite veins showed no abnormal
radioactivity.
Galena., sphalerite, pyrite,, chalcopyrite,, and silver are associated
with urani,=. In the Kassick scope,, those parts of the breccia which
contain the most conspicuous amounts of pyrite and chalcopyrite are
usually more radioactive than those in which these minerals are less
evident. The galena is very finely divided,, andq in the black matrix
of the breccia., it is impossible to distinguish muchof it megascopically.
There is apparently no quantitative relationship between uranium -
and the lead, zinc,, and silver,, Twelve samples were assayed for lead,
zinc, and silver, in addition to uranium® One sample contained no
uranium or silver, and very little zinc and lead. The remaining samples
contained appreciable amounts of the three more common metals,, but their
amounts did not vary systematically with the percentage of uranium.
Ore of the abo-re samples,, a chip sample of secondary pink barite
assayed 61.5 ounces of silver per ton and 0.165 percent i308- MOs'b of
the pink barite in the Kassick scope showed some abnormal -radioactivity.
A specimen of pink barite, reported by the Herron others to be from
the Mollie Gibson mine,, also shows abnormal radioactivity. In a
19 -
memora:nd-m. written for the Atomic Energy Commission T. P. Anderson
:Listo eleven specimens of silver ore from the Smuggler and Mollie Gibson
mines showing radioactivity ranging from 2 to 65 times background. The
location of the specimens in the mines isnot 'kn6'iqfi,' but it is believed
that they are from the lower, now inaccessible 'workings. In these,
samples, uranium occurs associated with pink barite, native silver,,
galena, and bornite. In most of the specimens the galena and silver
are in the barite. In two specimens the mineralization is in a felsite
breccia.
The greater part of the uranium is believed to be.. in primary, _pitc.h-_
blende of hydrothermal origin. The association of uraniumn the breccia
with the primary sulphides., galena and sphalerite, suggests that uraniun
was deposited during the third stage of mineralization. The pink barite
and native silver are shown by Spurr 10/ to be of secondary origin. The
association of some uranium with the pink barite and native silver suggests
that part of the uranium may be of secondary origin although the greater
part is believed to be primary. The uranium ore contains a high percentage
of calcium and magnesium carbonate. Seven samples analyzed for lime: and
.magnesia contained 23.27 to 46.11 percent CaCO3 and -13-36 to 34.39 percent
mgc. -
VA-MyNd "VOk"Irdro)
The Aspen mining district extends from 3 miles south to 1-21 mile
northeast of Aspen and is 1 mile wide. Mining began there in the early
2
18809s and continued until 1918 when the mines were abandoned. More
than $103,000,000 in lead, silver, and zinc ore were recovered from the
district during this period. Nearly all of the original many thousands
of feet of underground workings are now flooded or caved.
Ore has been recovered from every formation from the Cambrian
Sawatch to the Permian Maroon. As in the Smuggler mine,, -the principal
production has come from along cross -faults where these cut the Weber-
Leadville contact., and from along bedding taults near the base of the
Weber shale.
A minor radiometric anomoly was detected in a decomposed aplite
�,orphyry on the dump of the Lower Durant tunnel. This mine is located
2 mile south of Aspen on the Max Mountain road. The porphyry assayed
Anderson, T. P. Report of radiometric examination of the Colorado
School of Mines mineral collections: Memorandum of the Denver
Exploration Branch. U.S.A.E.C., Feb. 1950,
LO/ Spurrq E. J. U.S.G.S. Monograph 31,, pp. 236-237, and Econ. Ceology,
I vol. 4. No. 4 (1909) 315317.
Several belts of Cretaceous and Jurassic sediments crop out within
the area covered by this report. One belt extends from Aspen to
Carbondale along the east flank of the Elk Mountains; another follows
the Roaring Fork River from Woody Creek to Basalt; the last extends from
Basalt to the Cattle Creek Valley along the west flank of Red Table
Mountain (Figs. 2 and 3). These sediments consist of Mancos shale;
Dakota ortho-quartzite; friable, buff -colored Entrada saadstone; and
varicolored Morrison shales. Yo abnormal radioactivity was detected
at any place in these sediments'.
E ' f���y t'/ 7r
These old mine dumps will be rernilled for the miner- veyor will carry the material to a mill under con-
als left in them by the comparatively primitive struction. The dumps are on Hunter Greek, just
rnming and milling methods of the 1890& The con- marth of -Aspen- Sent n�LPboto —.
By JOAN LANE — Higher density will, of course, However, singe the milling
Senttnci Correr+ bndent Increase the area's vale . it is operation is temporary and the �
now zoned R.15, or 15, care company has agreed that tliere <
ASTIEN • Anunusr minSng foam lots for a dupe ar Ingle will' be, no .5tCf9aIi1 pollution, �
operation _. remi]Lng m,1 n e family resndence v. noise as tether unpleasantness,
durbap• to extract valuable min The office cd crt the bo&di gave its qualified ap- "
araals left behind by the cam o'and planner ict proval $
fray°atively prim live methods of has already dor e elinr- The rrd7Sin ermpany agreed en "r z
the, 1890s --will begun this spring' inary planning,' t7 —a aim to stop production if the IZ� b
opi the eatt.heast anlslaris of f which may ]ncludlr�ill man- boas ] a2 a Jx�trtrnnent feels -that �cL �.
�4
pen. made lakes, parks and other° inl complaints tl r^ant an invest'] -
The hoard of adjustment pass- navations• gation ;
ord as smittl on last week that The tract is exeui on the Constavctl of ne" mill has �o
gave qualified approval to the north by rows of oottonwood been underwa'&nce fall. Smart
temporar-y mill which will oiler- trees along Hunter � Creek. its said 20 men. 'wM 'be ,employed � � aa✓+U
Me iris what is nory zoned rest• errposure Is to the south, and the in the proje"tt. e
dentiel lots Restrictions include area is relatively near the cen- The Aspen Consolidated Min-
no noise no stream pollution or i ler iii! Ing Company, under Smart's d]- ct
r tl er unpleasantness fox' titase Nothing was done to the rection, planned the project. His
living In the area, including pa- i dumps for years because, de- company is now ,a subsidiary of
ieros in the Aspen Valley iros- i spite its favorable location, no McCulloch C]i
dnxtal'wluch is due west of the ¢me could f3guae, out t sway 'Io Smart said hat when this a
Project, get rid of the ugly. dumps --- tlio project is fin shed, the mill win] �
The extraction of the nvner- waste fxen tt res that made be moved to the aIle of the �
als I's only pair, of the oy c ,ation. vAspen cr c tip -ui?a fix ixrst lutown sn, Smuggler No. 2; tunnel furtherLn
atter than estimated 3014,Uifp to
" su nby� east. There Smart platys to mine a
of tailings have been remilled Then, .Ed Smart, an on and end mill one from the Smuggler �
a r Pware xi PrflnnWrd z2 nrr oft risoera resident since the end mine, said at one time to be one �
torr- worth of silver, lead anti of warty ver� rat soca Wyle lue a of ate racnese saver mines in
chore, the tailings will have filled of rernilling tPle,dumps and de- the world-
;,; ,an carnpty, artifidrnl lake, near veloping•"i4e peal estate to the a
ltj; f sireTe valley Hospital. Top McCulloch 'X go.' of California.
gk.;wv 11 be brought from the The lank; 'rchased from �
wslop as of Smuggler Moun- the 'b
and Cowan-r:r cs
hoven
e l'"rurced iritoand the, la5-acre ar-ca new real estate by the C Brix nn f owned d
l°" iiravvra f�arauly.
development. bbl .' . l Yt the mill ar the MUM
f"fttd rexrulYrrtg project is ea,. resident l ere made by
PpQiieSl to take about 15 months. t earby "ate 'William Ma- L7
'byes preliminary master plan, sort, a tithe board of
lair"`ihe area considers the old adi that he felt CO
cptaMp .area ideal for multi-fam- haat sinc#°. O' aiin 84 per Ln
"fly dwellings„ "AYris is an attempt cont bf my whldl is Zen- ez
to solve some of the problems of ed fall the agricultural and
limited low cost housing for forestry classification w h i c h ? �
permits. mining, that Smart's
mill could have been placed in
an aroma'zoned for such aodvi-
L
ties, . - � �