Science tells bigger story on Silver Valley remediation
“Let Science rule over sentiment.” Press editorial providing concerns of contamination that the Bunker Hill Superfund site is contributing to Lake Coeur d’Alene.
The actual information regarding the National Academy of Science 2005 study specific to water quality and human health issues is, “However, the characterization did not adequately address groundwater, the primary source of dissolved metals in surface water-or identify specific locations and materials contributing metals to groundwater. In addition, the committee, (NAS) has serious concerns about the feasibility and potential effectiveness of the proposed remedial actions for environmental protection.”
The NAS went on to add, “There are no appropriate repositories to hold proposed amounts of excavated materials, and establishing them in the basin will probably be extremely difficult. Furthermore, the potential long-term effectiveness of proposed remedial actions is severely limited by frequent flooding events in the basin and their potential to recontaminate remediated areas with contaminated sediments. Yet, flooding apparently received little attention to EPA’s selection of remedies. Overall, downstream transport of lead-contaminated sediments can be addressed only by removing or stabilizing the contaminated sediments in the river basin.”
These are some of the facts that motivated a grassroots action supported by more than 3,000 affected citizens opposing EPA’s toxic waste repository that is being built at the Old Mission at Cataldo off Exit 39 on Interstate 90. Where the US/GS in one day of flooding measured 160 metric tons of lead being washed downstream from the Upper Basin Old Mission Repository. In return an EPA project manager responded in the media that the “Mission Repository was cleansing the pollution before the flood waters traveled downstream.” A year long effort by environmental groups to acquire the scientific documentation to prove this has provided nothing. Not to mention that the IDEQ and Panhandle Health District are distributing coloring books for lead awareness to children encouraging them to “visit the Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission State Park to learn more about the area.” There are literally tons of lead and contamination being built up there under the guise of ICP. “EPA has concluded that lead-contaminated soil was the primary contributor to (Childrens) health risk to lead.” NAS Study, 2005
One other important factor of the NAS supports, “The effectiveness of remedial actions for human health protection needs to be further evaluated” in a 2005 summary, $359 million was projected for cleanup of a broader contaminated area with approximately one-fourth intended for human health risks. EPA has $700,000,000 of mine settlement funds that the men, women and children of the Silver Valley, six generations are calling to have a portion be given for the establishment of a Community Lead Health clinic/Center. The Silver Valley Community Resource Center has the design for such a center, has the experience and the underlying urgency for such a center. Those who are aware of what is going on with the expenditure of funds, believe that the CLHC is as important as the $13,000,000 bridge EPA purchased to transport contamination at the Old Mission Repository.
With regards as to how best to deal with the remediated contamination being dug up in yards and deposited in many repositories in the Upper Basin, dumping sites acres in size with majority in actual communities and on the banks of the Coeur d’Alene River, the NAS recommendation to “establish an independent external scientific review panel with multidisciplinary expertise to provide ongoing evaluation and advice to the relevant agencies on remediation decisions at mining megasites” is wise wisdom and more than timely.
Paul Flory is a resident of Smelterville, and Donna O’Neill is a Kellogg resident.