Optimization of consolidation capacity
A topographic saddle shrunk the site footprint and increased waste capacity by 50%, delivering more than $17M in savings.
Practices
Designing a sustainable solution for a historic mining basin
The Couer d’Alene Trust was charged with recovering the wildlife and natural resources impacted by decades of mining activities. CDM Smith has played a key role in planning and developing a cost-conscious, sustainable solution that meets all of the regulatory standards.
Reuse of on-site materials
An on-site quarry supplied 175K cubic yards of soil and rock, eliminating long-haul imports and minimizing carbon footprint.
Meeting EPA remediation goals
Design and construction followed EPA mining-site best practices, ensuring the consolidation area met strict compliance standards.
Supporting watershed recovery
Cleanup across the watershed has advanced long-term environmental recovery for both communities and wildlife.
Ultimately, CDM Smith consolidated 1.5M cubic yards of mine waste at the East Fork Ninemile Waste Consolidation Area, delivering on time and within budget. The project team’s design quality and coordination earned high praise: “The high-quality design, coupled with the teamwork and leadership, has allowed this project to be executed with only minimal or minor changes,” noted a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project engineer. The Coeur d’Alene Basin, also known as “Silver Valley,”, is one of the largest cleanups in U.S. history.
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