“So far we’ve treated 12,500 cubic metres of what we estimate will be 26,500 cubic metres of contaminated tailings and deposited them into the monocell,” the project manager told the Courier.

“We’re just under half way, we’ve cleared the wetlands and we are making good progress on the tailings.

“And if the weather is kind we are on track to meet the mid-year deadline to finish the project.”

Weather is something that Clayton has been watching closely ever since the project began in July last year … because dealing with water and the potential for contaminated run-off is one of the hardest parts of the complex project.

“Rain is one of the complexities of the job.

“We manage the water flow from the monocell weekly – we have a sump to deal with surface water and we also have an underfloor drainage layer at the base.

“Both feed into the treatment pond where water is regularly treated and sampled before discharge.

“Actually this year has been the driest since the mine shut in 1974 … lucky for us.”

Other glitches include having complex machinery in the contaminated red zone that at times breaks down.

Repairs require a mechanic to suit up and work with gloves and glasses, often under a big machine – neither comfortable nor easy.

“Repairs do tend to take longer because gloves and suits mean the mechanic loses dexterity.”

The red zone is however shrinking and that means the moment when the monocell will be capped and the four hectare site re-opened to the Urunga community is inching ever closer, bucket load by bucket load.

Asked about the cost of the project, Group Director of Infrastructure and Land Management for the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Stephen Wills, said the budget was now hovering around $7 million, quite a lot more than the original $4.5 million estimate.

“Remediating contaminated sites is a notoriously complex process and being a wetland, this is a particularly complex site,” Stephen said.

“It is however worth the investment to ensure we get the best outcome.

“You can’t economise on projects of this nature - it is vital that this legacy of past mining practices is remedied.”

He said while Crown Lands was footing the bulk of the bill, the NSW Environmental Trust and the NSW Department of Energy and Resources had also contributed.

“We are having discussion with these agencies now about additional financial support for the project – there have been strong valid reasons for all the increases.”

And when all that contaminated dirt is treated and buried, apart from a new recreation space for residents and bird watchers, technical innovations, such as the brand new technology for treating and testing huge quantities of contaminated water, will be among the legacies.

“This job has needed innovation – everyone has learnt so much and this knowledge can now be shared and used on future projects,” Stephen said.

The fully remediated site is due to be handed back to the community by the middle of the year – weather permitting.

We hope you enjoy our gallery