EPA invites public to tour Bunker Hill Superfund Site cleanup

It's been a long cleanup process for the Bunker Hill Superfund site.

Work has been expanded through the upper and lower sections of the Coeur d’Alene Basin as agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continue to investigate environmental remedies put in place due to heavy mining in the area.

Part of that looks into how well processes are working to protect residents from heavy metal contaminants, such as zinc and cadmium, are five-year reviews.

Community coordinator Rafi Ronquillo said the EPA considers it a part of "the superfund life cycle" to compile that feedback as part of the big picture for the contamination site. 

The five-year review is anticipated to come out in September 2026 and is the sixth five-year review for the Bunker Hill Superfund site. 

"It's not mandated by the law, but important," Ronquillo said. "Once a remedy is in place, it's reviewed and assessed to make sure they’re still successful in containing any contaminants of concern."

The EPA is seeking comments about the Superfund site or any pressing concerns.

After speaking to people in the Kellogg area in the spring, Ronquillo said the shifting cleanup focus has been widely considered a positive for residents in the Silver Valley. 

With most of the work now taking place in the upper basin, more removed from residential areas, the project has been deemed less invasive in people’s lives. 

"That isn’t to say there won’t be continued cleanup in residential areas or that it won’t continue to be apparent, but in the 1990s or 2000s, it was a little bit more apparent and invasive," Ronquillo said. 

Members of the public are also being invited to join the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission during their site tour Aug. 27, beginning at the Panhandle Health District office, 35 Wildcat Way, Kellogg. 

The tour will be an opportunity to hear from experts about the cleanup and ask questions.

Some of the most important cleanup work in the last decade has been done at Gray’s Meadow from above and at Nine Mile Creek.

Cleanup in the upper east fork of Nine Mile Creek to improve water quality included treating land under the central impoundment area and conducting an extreme reduction of zinc and cadmium. 

"It was a big project and a lot of work has been done to remediate the soil," Ronquillo said.

The EPA has been working with PHD to prioritize recreation sites to prevent human exposure where there is increased activity. 

Though major strides have been made, the work continues, Ronquillo said.

"What we’re hoping to convey to folks is that we still have a lot more cleanup to do," Ronquillo said.

EPA representatives are also looking for preferred ways residents wish to receive information about the superfund site.

Community members are invited to send Coeur d'Alene Basin cleanup remarks to [email protected] or call 206-638-6305.