Category: Uncategorized
THE DIRT: Recreating Safely in the Bunker Hill Superfund Site
The Bunker Hill Superfund Site in North Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene River (CDA) Basin has a history of mining-related contamination. While the region offers hiking, biking, fishing, and ATV/side by side/Motorcycle riding, these activities should be approached with caution due to lead and other heavy metals in the soil and water. To promote safe recreation, the Recreation Sites Program was established in 2016 to assess and manage health risks.
Developed in collaboration with agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and Panhandle Health District (PHD), this program provides strategies for mitigating exposure risks. A key initiative is the Basin Recreational Sites Strategy, which outlines methods for identifying and managing contaminated areas, conducting outreach, and gathering public input. A similar strategy is being developed for the Box region, with finalization expected in 2025.
Addressing contamination at recreation sites is challenging due to recurring recontamination from flooding events. Unlike standard cleanups that replace contaminated soil, many recreation sites require ongoing management. Trails, dispersed camping sites, and ATV areas present additional cleanup difficulties due to remote and rugged terrain, requiring tailored approaches.
Public education is vital for safe recreation. The outreach efforts inform visitors about health risks and safe practices. Individuals are encouraged to wash their hands before eating, avoiding soil contact, and follow posted guidelines to avoid recreational exposure to lead and other heavy metals. These efforts continue to expand.
In 2025, the Recreation Sites Program team will meet biannually to evaluate progress. The CDA Trust will monitor completed projects, update signage, and assess cleanup options for recreation areas in the CDA Basin. In the Box, DEQ and PHD will update signage and improve access controls at key recreation sites.
To engage the community, a Citizens Coordinating Council (CCC) Educational Brown Bag Community Meeting is planned for May 21st from noon to 1:00 PM at the Fernan Forest Service Building (2502 E Sherman Ave, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814). The meeting is open to the public and will also be available virtually via Microsoft Teams. The session will cover how to safely recreate in the Bunker Hill Superfund Site, with presentations from EPA and PHD. Attendees joining in person should bring their own lunch, and a special election for a new CCC Chair will also take place. This is a great opportunity for residents to learn more, ask questions, and become involved.
By balancing remediation with public awareness, the Recreation Sites Program ensures residents and visitors can enjoy the CDA Basin safely while reducing health risks from legacy contamination.
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: Fish consumption advisory for the Cd’A Basin
North Idaho offers some of the best fishing opportunities in the region, with Lake Coeur d’Alene and surrounding waters providing a rich habitat for a variety of fish species. Unfortunately, like many water bodies across the country, some fish species in this area have been found to contain elevated levels of mercury. To ensure safe and enjoyable fishing experiences, health officials have issued guidelines to help anglers monitor their fish consumption.
Studies conducted by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Panhandle Health District, Fish and Game and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe have detected elevated mercury levels in species such as northern pike, bass and kokanee. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that can also be introduced through industrial activity. It is a neurotoxin that can impact brain development and nervous system function, particularly in pregnant women and young children. Mercury is the main contaminant of concern driving fish consumption meal limit recommendations.
To minimize exposure to these contaminants, health officials recommend limiting your intake to no more than the following per month:
• 2-5 servings of northern pike
• 3-11 servings of panfish
• 6-20 servings of kokanee
• 1-4 servings of bass
Serving size and quantity varies depending upon your inclusion in the general adult population, if you are pregnant or if you are a child. The location where a fish was caught can also affect the amount of mercury accumulated within a fish. For more specific recommendations please visit: http://fishadvisory.dhw.idaho.gov.
The advisory recommends eating younger fish and those lower in the food chain, such as trout and kokanee, because they are generally less contaminated. Fat should be trimmed and skin and organs removed before cooking fish to reduce the likelihood of contaminants. Cooking methods such as grilling or broiling do not reduce mercury content, making it essential to follow these guidelines when consuming local fish.
Beyond mercury, legacy contamination from historical mining activities has introduced heavy metals like lead, arsenic and cadmium into the Coeur d’Alene Basin. These pollutants settle in lakebed sediments and accumulate in fish, further increasing potential health risks. Levels of cadmium, arsenic and lead found in fish tissue are not expected to harm people’s health when following meal recommendations.
The DHW recognizes the health benefits of eating fish and is providing this advisory to encourage safe consumption. Fishing remains a beloved activity in North Idaho, and by staying informed, residents and visitors can continue to enjoy the sport while making health-conscious choices about fish consumption.
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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: What you need to know about ICP Permits
Spring is in the air, and you know that means; it’s time to swap snow boots for sneakers and get back outside, residents of North Idaho are eager to get outside and work in their yards. Before heading out to work, are you confident you have everything you need? Sure, you have your shovel, your gloves, and your freshly applied sunscreen. But what about your permit?
If you live within the Bunker Hill Superfund Site (BHSS) and you have projects that involve digging, grading, and/or excavation, you may also need an ICP excavation permit from Panhandle Health District.
Residents of the BHSS live in a geographic region that was impacted by lead and other heavy metals from historic mining, milling, and smelting practices. Cleanup measures taken at the BHSS are unique because contamination is so widespread and so deep in some areas that total removals could not be completed.
After the establishment of the Site in 1983, EPA collaborated closely with the community as they conducted Remedial Investigations and Feasibility Studies to determine the most effective, efficient, and logistically attainable cleanup method. After considering numerous options, it was determined that partially removing contaminated materials and replacing them with clean materials was the most feasible option available.
Soil sampling criteria were developed and remedial action levels established. After property owners provided consent, soil samples were collected from each property and cleanup decisions were made based on those sample results. To date, over 7,000 properties have undergone some form of remedial cleanup.
Not every property located within the BHSS qualified for remediation, but that does not mean these properties are completely contaminant free. And those that did qualify may have a variety of barrier types and depths. Typical barriers range in depth from six to twelve inches and consist of either gravel or topsoil.
Because only partial removals could be performed, contaminated materials can still exist beneath these barriers. Barrier fabric was often, but not always, used to mark the transition between clean barrier material and the contaminated material that remains. Dirt disturbing projects can compromise or damage clean barriers, thereby creating a health risk for individuals living near these compromised barriers, with children and pregnant women at highest risk. The Institutional Controls Program (ICP) was established under Panhandle Health District to issue permits and oversee dirt disturbance activities, and to ensure that barriers are properly maintained and reinstalled if disturbed.
Free ICP permits are required anytime a remediated barrier, or contaminated materials are disturbed, or if one cubic yard or more of soils containing contaminants must be moved. An ICP permit will provide you with sample data available for your property, records of any remediation work, and guidelines for safely completing your project. These permits also give you access to free soil disposal repositories and supplies to help you safely complete your project. Permits are a legal requirement and help protect homeowners from future legal ramifications of compromised barriers when their property is sold.
So, before you head outside and start your spring and summer projects, be sure to contact the ICP to see if you need a permit. Inquiries and permit requests can be made through our website cdabasin.idaho.gov, over the phone at (208)783-0707, or in person at 35 Wildcat Way in Kellogg.
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 conducting waterfowl survey
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with wildlife management staff from State, Federal, and Tribal organizations, is conducting a study to develop tools for monitoring waterfowl health and exposure to lead contamination in the Lower Coeur d’Alene River Basin. The team includes scientists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Fish and Game, the U.S. Geological Survey, and EPA. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of remediation and restoration efforts by tracking changes with new biomonitoring tools.
Tundra swans migrating between California and Alaska stop in the Coeur d’Alene Basin each spring. While foraging in contaminated wetlands for food buried in the sediment, they incidentally ingest toxic levels of lead from the sediment. Wood ducks, a species that nests in the Basin, are also vulnerable to lead ingestion while foraging for insects and submerged plants. Lead exposure results from ingestion of sediments contaminated by historic mine tailings that were once discharged directly into waterways by mining companies operating in the Silver Valley. This practice spread contaminants throughout the Lower Basin of the Coeur d’Alene River. Despite changes in mining practices, previously discharged toxic sediments remain accessible to waterfowl throughout most of their habitat.
The number of tundra swan deaths fluctuates annually. In 2022, 388 swans were found dead likely due to lead exposure from prolonged stays in the contaminated Basin. The swans may have been more vulnerable to exposure than in previous years due to a greater need for food after encountering limited feeding habitats in California from drought. Furthermore, feeding habitats in the Basin were also limited due to ice, forcing them to feed in areas with heightened risks for exposure to contaminated sediments. While the continental swan population remains stable, ongoing efforts aim to reduce lead exposure to improve swan health.
Field teams are collecting and testing blood and feces from trapped birds, while also monitoring exposure by placing GPS or radio collars on swans and wood ducks. Scientists will also collect and analyze samples from additional waterfowl, invertebrates, sediment, and water across wetlands, ranging from clean areas in the St. Joe River watershed to heavily contaminated sites in the Coeur d’Alene River Basin. Sampling will continue through mid-March 2025 for swans and from late March through June for wood ducks.
A key goal of the study is to develop noninvasive biomonitoring methods to measure lead exposure. Rather than relying on expensive traditional blood sample measurements which require specialized experience and extensive permitting, researchers are testing the use of fecal material and eggshells to assess aquatic waterfowl exposure to metals and track changes over time as remediation and restoration work create clean habitat in the Lower Coeur d’Alene Basin. The study may also provide information to aid in future wetland cleanup efforts, ensuring that waterfowl are attracted to clean habitats rather than toxic ones. EPA and the Restoration Partnership are already working on projects such as Gray’s Meadow, where soil cleanup and habitat restoration are underway, with completion expected by the end of 2025.
Public involvement is encouraged. If individuals encounter a dead tundra swan or a wood duck with a neck collar or satellite transmitter, they are asked to report sightings to Idaho Fish and Game at (208)-769-1414. The study findings will be made available to the public by EPA when complete.
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: Completion of Priority Cleanup Activities in the Ninemile Basin
All priority cleanup activities in the East Fork Ninemile (EFNM) Basin have been successfully completed, marking a significant milestone in environmental cleanup efforts. The EFNM Waste Consolidation Area (WCA) has reached capacity, and final closure activities are now underway. As this phase concludes, monitoring efforts will continue to assess the effectiveness of the remedial actions.
The Ninemile watershed, located near Wallace, Idaho, spans approximately 12 square miles, with Ninemile Creek extending 7 miles from its confluence with the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River (SFCDR) to the EFNM Creek headwaters. This area has been significantly impacted by historical mining activities dating back to the late 1800s, which introduced elevated metal concentrations into sediments, soil, and water.
In 2012, the Interim Record of Decision Amendment (RODA) identified 36 legacy mining sites contributing to metal contamination in the Ninemile Basin. These sources included waste rock dumps, mine workings, fill areas, and jig tailings piles. Initial, limited cleanup efforts by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) began in the 1990s, followed by remediation of the Rex No.2/Sixteen-to-One Mine between 2002 and 2007. In 2014, the Coeur d’Alene Trust launched extensive remedial actions (RAs) in line with the work outlined in the RODA. Through an adaptive management approach, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collaborated with stakeholders to prioritize and implement RAs across the Upper Basin, with the Ninemile Basin designated as an initial focus area due to its significant contribution of dissolved and particulate metals to area waterbodies.
Since 2014, cleanup work in the EFNM Basin has been ongoing. These efforts included the design and development of the WCA and remediation of major sites such as the Interstate Callahan rock dumps, Success Complex, Interstate Millsite, Lower EFNM Creek, Tamarack Complex, and Dayrock Complex. In total, approximately 1,545,000 cubic yards of waste were excavated and hauled to the EFNM WCA for placement and compaction, and approximately 15,000 linear feet of stream were reconstructed. The EFNM WCA generated approximately 350,000 cubic yards of rock and 375,000 cubic yards of soil for the Ninemile Basin remedial actions. The EFNM WCA’s strategic location near contamination sources resulted in an estimated $8.5 million in transportation cost savings while minimizing traffic disruptions to local communities. By late 2024, the EFNM WCA reached capacity, and final cover design was completed. Construction of the final cover system is anticipated for completion in 2025 and 2026, signifying the culmination of key cleanup efforts.
To ensure the long-term success of these remedial actions, the Basin Environmental Monitoring Plan (BEMP) was developed in accordance with the 2002 ROD and 2012 RODA. The BEMP provides a framework for assessing the effectiveness of cleanup activities, guiding the collection, analysis, and interpretation of environmental data. In the Ninemile Basin, RA effectiveness monitoring will evaluate progress toward remediation objectives, including water quality improvements and ecological responses. Monitoring efforts, which will continue for at least five years, will determine whether performance goals have been met. If goals are achieved, monitoring will transition to a site-wide program; if not, further assessments will be conducted to identify additional recommendations for achieving long-term environmental objectives in the Ninemile Basin.
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: Property Disclosures
How do you know if a property is safe from environmental hazards when you purchase it? In most communities, you would not. To make that determination, a property owner would have to pay to have a Phase 1 environmental audit performed, which can be a burdensome expense. One of the benefits of living within the Bunker Hill Superfund Site (BHSS) is that procedures are in place to maintain environmental records on properties within the site and to make those records available free of cost. The BHSS is a geographic region that was impacted by lead and other heavy metals from historic mining, milling, and smelting practices. Sampling for heavy metals within the site began in the 1980s, with cleanup efforts beginning in 1986.
Cleanup measures for the BHSS are unique because contamination is so widespread and so deep in some areas that total removals could not be completed. Rather, partial removals were performed, and clean barriers ranging in depths from six to twelve inches were installed over the remaining contaminants. Because the success of this cleanup depends on the protection of these fragile barriers, the Institutional Controls Program (ICP) was established under Panhandle Health District to oversee the installation and maintenance of these barriers as well as general dirt disturbance activities. The ICP also maintains records for all superfund-related data collected at the BHSS. This data includes soil sample results, records of any remedial actions taken on a property, copies of any ICP permits issued for that property, and additional helpful information.
Having a local ICP allows our communities to conduct commerce and sell properties without the requirement of environmental audits, a cost that private property owners would bear. Property owners are legally responsible for maintaining the depth and integrity of their barriers, so recording any disturbance is essential for documentation. If a property is listed for sale, a copy of all permits and records are provided to the potential buyers. If there have been changes to the property without the proper documentation, this could hold up or impact the sale. Dirt disturbance activities not permitted or inspected can result in compromised barriers. Compromised barriers create a health risk for residents, especially for children and pregnant women. Sellers, realtors, and landlords are legally required to provide property disclosures that detail information about a property’s barriers and provide a record of documented dirt disturbance activities. Disclosures are free of charge and can easily be requested online at https://cdabasin.idaho.gov/real-estate-property-disclosures/.
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: Air Quality Concerns
Take a deep breath. Notice anything? Perhaps that breath tasted resinous like the fir you cut in June. Was it more of a feeling? Itchy-burning making you sneeze, cough and water at the eyes. Your last batch of festive sugar cookies got too “crispy”. Or maybe tendrils of your neighbors’ chimney smoke infiltrated crevices in your home allowing outdoor air unwanted access. We often take air quality for granted; it is usually unseen, unscented, and fills our lungs to contentment—until it is making us sick. The quality of our air is a graded thing, one we do not control completely but can affect with forethought or oversight.
Short term symptoms of particulate matter exposure include dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and mild respiratory irritations. With repeated exposures, long-term effects can take root. Tissue damage and lung inflammation can lead to increased risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic bronchitis. For people with preexisting respiratory disease, worsening symptoms may occur. We encounter these particles because our daily activities create them. Day-to-day errands in our cars on dusty roads, cooking, cleaning, firing up the woodstove, blowing dust, burning backyard waste, and uncontrolled industrial processes are all potential sources of exposure.
One of the largest lead pollution events in US history started as an air quality incident. At the Bunker Hill lead smelter in 1973, fire broke out in the baghouses and destroyed its air pollution controls. A business decision to bypass damaged filters became the tragedy and hassle of the current Superfund site. Particles of lead and other toxins released into the air caused irrevocable damage to the health of individuals. Pollution did not remain airborne, and the secondary impact was the contamination of soil and water.
Improving air quality requires each of us to do our part. Utilize the air curtain incinerator at the Shoshone County Transfer Station. It is free for county residents! To reduce smoke, drop off your yard trimmings or slash, instead of burning at home. To improve indoor air quality, employ filters to clean the air. Increase filter effectiveness by weatherizing your home where you are able. Be sure to burn clean, dry wood with good technique in woodstoves. Clean floors and dust regularly. Smoke outside. If the air outside is better than indoors, open windows. Cleaning up outdoor air is not as simple as indoor solutions; it is an exercise of developing and practicing good habits that limit the number of particles and toxins released into the atmosphere around us. In general, source control is the best solution.
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: The Super JTI Program
The Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI) is an environmental remediation job readiness program that provides free training and career development opportunities for people living in communities affected by Superfund sites. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) goal is to help these communities develop job opportunities that remain long after a Superfund site has been cleaned up.
The EPA held their SuperJTI program for Silver Valley residents this past Spring. Participants in this free program received useful training for environmental jobs in the area. The program provided participants with multiple certifications at no charge and prepared them for careers in environmental cleanup work. These certifications included work readiness, CPR/First Aid, work zone flagging, and Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (40-hour HAZWOPER).
It has been more than six months since the Super JTI graduates completed their training and their progress has been amazing. Of the 12 SuperJTI graduates, 10 are actively working in some capacity.
The graduates have secured jobs in various capacities beyond those just in environmental remediation. Of course, some were hired by companies that relate to cleanup activities such as McGillivray Environmental, Northwind, Traffic Management and Quality Traffic Control. Others are currently employed by Idaho Fish and Game and Moran Mining.
“This was our third SuperJTI held here in the Silver Valley”, said Rene Gilbert who recently worked with the SuperJTI graduates. “The first was held in 2012, and the second in 2013. Some of those graduates are still working for local contractors. That’s not just a seasonal job, that is a career! With the certifications they receive, graduates can choose to pursue jobs locally, or anywhere that these certifications are a requirement for the job. I am very proud of our graduates and love hearing how this program has impacted their lives.”
SuperJTI projects benefit everyone involved by offering participants valuable training in marketable skills, boosting the local tax base for residents, and supplying cleanup contractors with a motivated and skilled labor force. EPA is also able to increase community awareness of cleanup efforts and environmental issues through each successfully completed SuperJTI series.
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: Air quality monitoring
Your family sledding trip should only leave your calves burning. But you feel it more in your chest after a smoky day in our narrow Silver Valley. Think back to the red AQI forecast on your phone. What information was it trying to convey? The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a color-coded tool to relay air pollution threats. Starting at GREEN, for good, colors warm to MAROON, for hazardous. The AQI can represent a variety of pollutants. In North Idaho, two air pollutants are monitored—PM10 and PM2.5.
The air around us contains particulate matter (PM). This term describes the microscopic solids and liquid droplets suspended in the atmosphere. These inhalable drifters can be pollen, dust, or other harmful particles. PM10 is the subgroup of these particles smaller than 10 micrometers (µm). About the size of one-tenth a grain of salt, PM10 particles can often be coughed out. PM2.5, on the other hand are tiny, 2.5µm in size. Measuring about one-20th of a strand of hair, these particles can be breathed in so deeply that they cannot be expelled. They can build up with each exposure and lead to the most risks. Associated toxins can pass directly into the bloodstream causing adverse effects.
This year, the EPA lowered the annual PM2.5 standard to reflect a better understanding of health risks associated with long-term exposures. This is one of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) criteria pollutants that is monitored to help protect environmental and community health. The current primary standard for annual PM2.5 is 9.0 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). This concentration of particles in the air is considered safe for most people. It corresponds with the maximum of the GREEN category from the AQI. When the average concentration rises above 9.0µg/m3 for 24 hours, there is an increased risk of short-term effects. Furthermore, when the annual average has excess days above the GREEN category, you start to see the riskier long-term effects associated with exposure to PM.
To help the community make informed choices and monitor potential health risks, a monitoring site in the Silver Valley was installed near Pinehurst Elementary School. The site features weather data collection, monitors for collecting PM2.5 and PM10 data and a NASA robot that monitors the upper atmosphere. Keeping tabs on this data with the DEQ Air Map and watching for AQI forecasting is easy! It can help you make informed decisions on how much time you and your family should be spending outdoors. Paying attention is just the beginning of protecting ourselves from poor air quality.
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: Understanding the work throughout Burke Pt. 2
The cleanup at the Hecla Star Complex started in 2023. The area known as Burke saw a big increase in construction work this past summer and will continue through the summer of 2026. Notably, the biggest change this summer was the installation of a very large box culvert that was placed near the large concrete mill building. Great efforts were taken to avoid impacts to the large historic buildings along Burke Road and to salvage the concrete stamped “HECLA 1923” at the culvert outfall. The creek was diverted during installation but was reintroduced into the culvert and stream channel at the end of 2024. The culvert was installed to reduce area flooding and is robust enough to handle a 100-year storm event. This will not only reduce flooding downstream but also reduce the possibility of recontamination from transported mining waste into the floodplain.
Work will continue near Burke next season. The emphasis will be on removing contaminated waste from Burke Road’s roadbed and the Canyon Creek corridor. Mine waste was commonly used as the foundation for the area roadways, and that waste is over 20 feet deep in some areas. The asphalt on Burke Road is rapidly degrading, exposing contaminated materials and creating a danger to public health. To remove these contaminated materials, Burke Road will need to be reduced to one-lane traffic, while each side is excavated out, backfilled with a new clean road base, and re-paved following project completion in 2026. In addition, cleanup work will remove contamination from the Canyon Creek stream corridor and a natural stream channel will be rebuilt upstream from the Star complex, up to Gorge Gulch. These extensive efforts will not only improve surface water quality but will provide a freshly paved section of road for travelers to the area. The work is expected to be completed in the Hecla Star area in the fall of 2026.
Once the Hecla Star Complex project is completed, work will continue downstream on additional sites. Historically, there were many different mill sites in the canyon. Crews will begin working to address the areas that impact human health and recreation the most. The current plan is for work to begin at the Tamarack No. 7 in 2025, the Flynn/Black Bear in 2026 and the Standard Mammoth in 2027. The work is anticipated to have less impact to traffic on Burke Road; however, an increase in truck traffic as part of the removal and replacement actions taking place should be expected.
Cleanup work may be an inconvenience for those who live and frequent this area, but good things come to those who wait. Once work is complete, the area will be cleaner, and the risk of metals exposure to humans and wildlife will be greatly reduced.
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.
