Throughout the summer, gates barring access to former mining areas in the hills above Triumph have been forced open or ripped away from their posts. Ketchum Fire Chief Mike Elle said the properties pose health hazards in the form of toxic waste left over from mining operations, as well as at least 20 open mine shafts.
"People are walking through areas that contain arsenic, lead and cadmium, which are at very high, possibly toxic levels," Elle said. "They are then unknowingly exposing other people when they bring back dust, mud and dirt back on their mountain bikes, hiking shoes or motorcycles."
The area contains the Triumph Gulch, Independence Gulch and North Star mines, all owned by development company DeNovo Independence. DeNovo is in the process of cleaning up the three sites, as part of an Idaho Department of Environmental Quality voluntary cleanup program, before developing a subdivision there. Gates have been installed to secure the roads accessing the area.
Elle said the waste materials are classified as inhalation and ingestion hazards, meaning that it's dangerous to even walk through the area without specialized protective equipment.
In addition to the materials, Elle said, open shafts and tunnels are currently unmarked and difficult to see. The mines are scheduled to be closed during the cleanup.
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To help keep people out of the sites, where about 25 workers are conducting the cleanup, reinforced gates have been erected and private security guards are patrolling the areas. However, Elle said people have attempted to shoot the locks off the gates to gain access. He said that with the start of hunting season, more people could be tempted to trespass there.
"It is my responsibility to reduce the risk to the citizens and visitors to our area from hazardous materials such as the mine waste at these sites," Elle said. "I am seriously concerned about the public's perception that since the road from East Fork to Elkhorn has always been open that they can continue to travel through the area without realizing that they are exposing themselves, friends and family to serious dangers."
DeNovo is set to propose a 15-home subdivision for the area to the Sun Valley City Council at a public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Sun Valley City Hall.
The developer is hoping the council's ruling will differ from the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. In April, the commission recommended that the council deny Denovo's application to amend the city's comprehensive plan by adding 428 acres of the company's property in Independence Gulch to the city's future land-use map. The request was the first step toward annexation of the property.
Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com
