Month: August 2025
THE DIRT: Join the annual Bunker Hill Superfund Site tour
The Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission (BEIPC) invites the public to attend its annual Bunker Hill Superfund Site Cleanup Tour on Wednesday, Aug. 27. The event offers a rare, firsthand look at environmental remediation and restoration efforts in the Silver Valley, one of the nation’s most significant cleanup initiatives.
The day begins at 9 a.m. with BEIPC’s quarterly meeting at the Panhandle Health District office, 35 Wildcat Way in Kellogg. The meeting will include updates on ongoing projects, including Coeur d’Alene Lake shoreline sampling and the proposed location for a Lower Basin Waste Consolidation Area. The meeting will adjourn at 10:40 a.m., followed by a guided field tour.
The tour starts at 10:50 a.m. at Gene Day Park in Osburn, where attendees will hear from David Van de Riet of Idaho Fish and Game and Rebecca Stevens of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe about recent restoration efforts. Participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch and water.
Following lunch, the tour will continue to the East Fork Ninemile Basin. Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Coeur d’Alene Work Trust will provide updates on completed priority cleanup work in the area. The watershed is a key focus due to its legacy of mining-related heavy metal pollution. Stops will include the East Fork Ninemile Waste Consolidation Area, the Interstate Mill Site and the Dayrock Complex.
After a brief stop in Wallace, the final leg of the tour will be at the Page Repository, where the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will lead a tour of ongoing waste management activities. The event will conclude in Kellogg around 3:30 p.m.
This tour is a unique opportunity for community members, local leaders and stakeholders to engage with project staff, observe collaborative cleanup efforts and gain insight into the work still ahead.
Registration is required and space is limited. To reserve a seat, contact Gail Yost, assistant to the BEIPC executive director, at gail.yost@deq.idaho.gov or 208-783-2548. For updates and the full meeting agenda, visit www.basincommission.com.
The Dirt is a series of informative articles focused on all aspects of cleanup efforts associated with the Bunker Hill Superfund Site. Our goal is to promote community awareness of contamination issues, to provide tools for protecting public health, and to keep the community informed of current and future cleanup projects. The Dirt is a group of committed and local experts from multiple agencies including the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission, Panhandle Health District, Shoshone County, Silver Valley Economic Development Corporation, and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
THE DIRT: EPA seeks public input for 5-Year Review
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started its sixth Five-Year Review of the Bunker Hill Superfund site last month. The purpose of a Five-Year Review is to evaluate the existing remedy and determine if it continues to protect people’s health and the environment. EPA’s evaluation of the remedy, along with its findings and conclusions, will be included in this report. Any deficiencies found in the remedy will be noted along with potential ways to address them.
The first Five-Year Review was completed in June 2000 following the start of the Superfund cleanup actions. This process repeats every five years as required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
The Bunker Hill Superfund site was contaminated by historic mine waste disposal practices and smelting activities, which left harmful levels of metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and zinc. These metals are dangerous to both humans and wildlife. EPA’s Five-Year Reviews help monitor the impact of cleanup activities and determine whether any changes are needed.
EPA is inviting the community to participate in the current review. Any individual who lives, works, recreates or has an interest in this area is invited to share their thoughts and ideas about the site. While collecting community input for Five-Year Reviews is not required by law, it is an EPA best practice and helps the agency understand local concerns.
Interested participants should send feedback via email to EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Rafi Ronquillo at ronquillo.rafi@epa.gov. The deadline for feedback is Aug. 31. The current Five-Year Review is expected to be finished in September 2026 and published the following month.
Past Five-Year Reviews can be found on EPA’s Bunker Hill Superfund site profile webpage: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/bunker-hill. This page provides access to documentation related to the site. You can also sign up for the EPA’s e-mail list to receive any future site-related updates.
The Dirt is a series of informative articles focused on all aspects of cleanup efforts associated with the Bunker Hill Superfund Site. Our goal is to promote community awareness of contamination issues, to provide tools for protecting public health, and to keep the community informed of current and future cleanup projects. The Dirt is a group of committed and local experts from multiple agencies, including the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission, Panhandle Health District, Shoshone County, Silver Valley Economic Development Corporation, and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
