The McLaren Tailings Reclamation Project entailed reclaiming an abandoned gold mine mill site adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. Due to the high elevation in the mountains, heavy snow limited the work season to only four months per year. Consequently, the project was started in June 2010 and completed in September 2014. The general purpose of this project was to excavate 260,000 cubic yards of wet, soupy tailings laying up to 35 feet deep from behind the dam and stabilize (dry out) the tailings with quick lime before placing them in an on-site repository. Upon completion of the work, it was extremely satisfying to everyone involved to see clear, sparkling water flowing through the site, replacing the orange-colored toxic water that had flowed for the past 80 years.
What makes it interesting?
The project is located at a high elevation (7200 feet) and is only five miles upstream from Yellowstone National Park. The tailings (waste material) generated during the milling process were contaminated with heavy metals that leached into adjacent Soda Butte Creek, which then flowed directly into Yellowstone Park. The mill operated from 1934 to 1953 but has continued contaminating Soda Butte Creek ever since. In 1960, Soda Butte Creek was designated the most polluted stream entering any national park.
How HCSS Software assisted with this project
HeavyBid was most effective in assembling a complex bid with many subs and suppliers. Three alternate bids would have been very difficult to put together without HeavyBid. HeavyJob was used from day one to project completion to track not only labor and equipment costs but also all truck deliveries (800 loads).
