Q: Are there current mining operations in the Bunker Hill Superfund site?  Do they meet current environmental regulations?

A: Yes, currently several mining companies work successfully in the Superfund site, which is a portion of Coeur d’Alene Mining District. Where current cleanup activities occur near active mining operations, these activities are coordinated. 

Congress established Superfund to be able to take care of hazardous waste after-the-fact, but the Superfund law does not regulate current mining practices. Active mining operations are governed by federal and state environmental laws. The US EPA and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality each have duties to carry out for both “after-the-fact” cleanups and active mining.

Q: Is the EPA cleanup plan for the Upper Basin complete?

A: Yes. The ROD Amendment is in final stages before publication. The document includes technical information, cleanup decisions, and a summary of responses to about 6,000 formal public comments.  

The ROD Amendment focuses on human health and includes water quality improvements for rivers and streams in the upper basin. It will address mine and mill waste left over from the early-to-mid 1900s. It also includes measures like controlling stormwater and side stream flooding to protect the remediation already in place. EPA's Fact Sheet (http://go.usa.gov/rn4R) gives an overview of these and other activities in the ROD Amendment.

Q: How will ROD Amendment work proceed and what will be done first?

A: Work plans are developed annually through the Basin Commission. EPA will first develop a draft “Implementation Plan” to describe the process for identifying priority projects. The Implementation Plan will ultimately give details about when and where work will happen in the near term.   

 Watch for opportunities to provide input on this plan by staying tuned in to the Basin Commission, Citizens Coordinating Council (CCC), and EPA’s new Facebook page at “cdabasin.” See what’s up at the next CCC meeting at the Wallace Inn on October 10. If only Lower Basin topics interest you, connect with the Lower Basin Collaborative at http://lowerbasincollaborative.wordpress.com.

I welcome your questions about the Bunker Hill Superfund Site. Call (208) 783-5781, email Denna Grangaard or visit www.deq.idaho.gov/bunkerhillsuperfundsite.