Regional
NID Seeks Federal Funds on Landmark Mercury Removal Project
Author: Susan Snider, YubaNet
Published on Feb 18, 2010 - 7:36:37 AM

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. Feb. 18, 2010 - Approximately 60 miles northeast of Sacramento on the western slope of the northern Sierra Nevada foothills lies Combie Reservoir. Part of Nevada Irrigation District's lower storage division, Combie sits behind Van Giesen Dam, built in 1928. Over 80 years later, the dam has not only restricted the waters of the Bear River, it has also impounded hundreds of thousands of tons of mercury-laden sediment behind its concrete edifice.

Today, NID is in the planning stages of an innovative, one-of-a-kind project to extract 100 pounds of potentially lethal mercury from roughly 200,000 tons of sediment sitting behind Van Giesen Dam in Combie Reservoir. If the project successfully demonstrates that mercury can be removed from sediments -- without contributing to unacceptable levels of mercury downstream -- it could become a model for other reservoir maintenance programs as a best management practice (BMP).

The total cost of the project is estimated to be around $9 million. While NID, along with the State of California (through the Sierra Nevada Conservancy), private industry and others will contribute to the overall cost, the district hopes to receive additional funds from the federal government.

Last week NID General Manager Ron Nelson advised board members that the district has filed for appropriations funding through Senator Diane Feinstein's office. "We are asking for $8 million over several fiscal years," Nelson said. "It's tough, given the federal budget, but we have a worthy project. I'm confident we will get reasonable consideration."

Nelson also praised the efforts of assistant general manager Tim Crough. "He worked very hard with Feinstein's staff," Nelson said. "Tim deserves commendation for all his hard work. Through this, we have also gotten lots of broad local support for the project."

Also speaking before NID directors, Crough referenced letters sent to Senator Feinstein's office from Nevada County Supervisor Ed Scofield and Placer County Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery. The project lies within the boundaries of Scofield's division in Nevada County and also impacts the Bear River downstream in Montgomery's division of Placer County.

Later, Crough told YubaNet that a letter of support was also sent by Nevada County Supervisor Nate Beason on behalf of the entire Board of Supervisors. In addition, The Sierra Fund and the local Tsi-Akim Maidu Tribe also sent letters to Feinstein's office.

"NID is a leader in the state, if not the nation, in this kind of a project," Crough told district directors at last week's board meeting, referencing the innovative nature of the project. In NID's request for fiscal year 2011 federal appropriations funding, Crough states "There is no known method to remove mercury from reservoir sediments, without further contaminating the river system." This is why, Crough said, NID, in collaboration with scientists, regulatory agencies, environmental organization like The Sierra Fund, and mining professionals decided to embark on the project.

"I'm thinking that this project should be considered for an award at the ACWA level, for innovative projects," Director Nancy Weber suggested, referring to possible recognition by the Association of California Water Agencies. The largest coalition of water agencies in the nation with nearly 450 public agency members, ACWA has been in the forefront of California water issues since 1910.

Along with demonstrating new technology designed to extract mercury safely from river sediments, the project will also remove accumulated sediments in Combie Reservoir and restore water storage capacity through the dredging process. Through the mercury extraction process, NID seeks to prevent further contamination in downstream reaches of the Bear River. At the same time, NID and the U.S. Geological Survey will study the effects of project activities relating to mercury transport and methylation.

Preliminary tests by NID indicate that the project could establish effective practices for removing mercury from other Sierra Nevada rivers and streams. In addition, the district is hopeful that the project will serve as a model for dealing with mercury issues in the San Francisco Bay Delta.

"The initial project - a 3-4 year timeline - calls for removing 200,000 tons of sediment out of Combie," Crough later told YubaNet. "But in effect, the project will continue in perpetuity, as sediment will continue to backup behind Combie Dam. From a CEQA standpoint, it is a perpetual project, because it is an ongoing maintenance requirement," he added.

For this reason, Crough was cautious on the subject of the project's cost. "Calculating long-term cost of the project is difficult, because it will be an ongoing process," Crough reiterated. "We are asking $7.8 million from the federal government over three years," he said, adding that NID anticipates contributing matching funds of over $1 million.

"This includes revenue from the sale of gravel, contributions from the State, and revenue from gold recovery," Crough noted. "We estimate revenue from gold recovered from sand to be around $500,000. And NID is pledging any revenue from gold recovery to reduce what we receive from the federal government."

While Crough is optimistic about support from Senator Feinstein, he indicated that a recent meeting to garner assistance from 4th District Congressman Tom McClintock was less encouraging. "Congressman McClintock wants to support the project, but won't support it as an earmark request," Crough said.

For more information on NID's "Combie Reservoir Sediment and Mercury Removal" project, go to http://www.nid.dst.ca.us/mercury-removal.cfm

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