KELLOGG — Bunker Hill Mining Co. President and CEO Sam Ash called it “a defining moment” Monday as the company announced the first production of concentrate from the historic Bunker Hill Mine in 45 years.

The milestone comes just more than six years after Ash was tapped to lead the mine's restart, guiding the project through pandemic restrictions, financial setbacks and the regulatory challenges of reopening a historic mine within a federal Superfund site.

In a Monday news release, Ash highlighted the significance of the achievement and its implications for the company's future.

“This is a defining moment for both the new Bunker Hill and the communities of Kellogg and Wardner,” Ash said. “Although we are just starting the ramp-up to commercial production — expected by the end of 2026, and a lot of work remains to be done to bring our processing system to its maximum efficiency, we are now firmly back in business, employing world-class local labor, and supplying these critical metals safely into the U.S. domestic supply chain at a vital time for our country.”

Ore from the mine was processed at Bunker Hill's on-site mill and will now be trucked to British Columbia for smelting.

The company expects to spend the remainder of 2026 ramping up operations, with commercial production targeted by year-end. Bunker Hill defines commercial production as maintaining at least 65% of the mill's 1,800-ton-per-day design capacity, about 1,170 tons per day, for 90 consecutive days while demonstrating stable operating performance.

“Over the past six years, our team, working with regulators and its many partners, has transformed Bunker Hill from a dormant, unloved asset, lying forgotten in an EPA Superfund Site into a modern mining operation, employing over 200 local staff and capable of feeding its newly built 1800tpd processing facility — the largest and most modern in the Silver Valley," Ash said.

The Bunker Hill Mine operated for nearly a century before shutting down in 1981. During that time, it produced more than 165 million ounces of silver and 4.5 million tons of base metals.

Ash said the company is already looking beyond the restart phase.

“With our energetic exploration plan focused on bringing more higher-grade silver-lead mineralization into the mine plan, and our expanding technical team already working on ways to expand production to 2500tpd in time, the future is looking very bright for Bunker Hill and its team of dedicated Silver Valley mining professionals," Ash said.