OVERVIEW COEUR D ALENE RIVER BASIN. Fisheries Management in the Coeur d Alene River Basin, Idaho and Superfund Legislation

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1 Fisheries Management in the Coeur d Alene River Basin, Idaho and Superfund Legislation Presented to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittees on Superfund and Waste Management AND Fisheries Wildlife and Water By Cathy Gidley OVERVIEW Background of Coeur d Alene River Management Problems Superfund Legislation Bunker Hill Superfund Site Current Legislation Recommendations COEUR D ALENE RIVER BASIN

2 MINING IN THE BASIN Beginning in the late 1880 s Concentrated in the South Fork Area noted as one of the largest producers of silver-lead and zinc IN THE WORLD National Rating in Mineral Production for Mines of Coeur d Alene District, Idaho MINE SILVER LEAD ZINC ANTIMONY Sunshine 1 1 Galena 3 Bunker Hill Lucky Friday 5 10 Crescent 6 Silver Summit 19 Star-Morning Page Day Rock 20 Mink 1970 WATER QUALITY Mine tailings discharged into the river Elevated levels of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, As South Fork Zn levels 2x Idaho criteria 2002 Transport of sediments downstream Lake Coeur d Alene Spokane River, Washington Dillon 2002

3 EFFECTS OF MINING ON ORGANISMS Biological study Ellis 1932 Little aquatic life No fish Bowler 1973 Rainbow trout died within 48 hours EFFECTS OF MINING ON ORGANISMS CONT D Direct effects of metals on fish Reduced growth and reproduction Mortality Behavioral effects Metals avoidance Woodward 1997 Migration Goldstein 1999 Chinook salmon prefer North Fork for spawning Cutthroat use of overwintering habitat FISH SPECIES IN COEUR D ALENE BASIN NATIVE SPECIES Bull Trout Westslope Cutthroat Trout Mountain Whitefish Sculpin (2) Dace (2) Sucker (4) NON-NATIVE Fall Chinook Northern Pike Rainbow Trout Yellow Perch Kokanee Salmon Largemouth Bass

4 MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS Lack of research on the mainstem river Reduced bull trout population Elevated metals concentrations Fish tissue Idaho Fish Consumption Advisory Program (IFCAP) Bank stabilization NEED FOR SUPERFUND LEGISLATION Prominence of environmental pollution due to hazardous materials Risks to public health and the environment Love Canal Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Company Chemical dump site over 22,000 tons SUPERFUND LEGISLATION Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) 1980 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) 1986 U.S. House of Representatives Code Title 42 Public Health and Welfare Chapter 103

5 CERCLA AND SARA Created a tax on petroleum and chemical industries Generated $1.6 billion in 5 years Tax lapsed during the Clinton Administration Currently over 1,300 sites Bunker Hill second largest in the nation! 9 sites in Idaho Implementation of Superfund Act by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) OBJECTIVES OF CERCLA Establish prohibitions and requirements concerning closed and abandoned hazardous waste sites Provide liability of persons responsible for releases of hazardous waste at these sites Establish a trust fund to provide for cleanup when no responsible party could be identified OBJECTIVES OF CERCLA CONT D Establish guidelines for cleanup Short term Long term

6 SUPERFUND DESIGNATION MAJOR COMPONENTS National Contingency Plan (NCP) Subchapter I, Hazardous Substances Releases, Liability, and Compensation, Section 9605 National Priority List (NPL) Hazard ranking system 42USC SUPERFUND DESIGNATION MAJOR COMPONENTS CONT D Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Site evaluation Alternatives for remedial action Record of Decision (ROD) Selection of alternative Subject to public comment SUPERFUND DESIGNATION MAJOR COMPONENTS CONT D Remedial Design Remedial Action

7 BUNKER HILL SUPERFUND SITE BUNKER HILL MINE Bunker Hill lode discovered 1885 BUNKER HILL SUPERFUND SITE IN 1983 Bunker Hill complex ceased operations Gulf Resources declared bankruptcy Listed as final on the NPL

8 BUNKER HILL SUPERFUND SITE The Box 21 square miles surrounding mine site OPERABLE UNIT RECORD OF DECISION 00 Site-wide 01 Populated Areas 02 Non-populated Areas 03 Basin-wide 04 Minewater 05 Coeur d Alene Lake EPA Website BUNKER HILL CLEANUP EPA Website ROD OPERABLE UNIT 3 $360 million projected cost Protection of Human Health Residential and commercial cleanup Environmental Protection Improve water quality Reduce downstream migration of metals Improve conditions for fish and wildlife

9 CURRENT LEGISLATION Reinstatement of the Superfund tax Defeat of S.192 March 11, 2004 Introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) Defeat of S.173 March 26, 2004 Introduced Senators Boxer (D-CA), Jeffords (I-VT), and Lautenberg Reauthorize the "polluter pay" tax until 2014 CURRENT LEGISLATION CONT D Introduction of H.R.434 February 1, 2005 Introduced by Representative Terry (NE) Referred to House subcommittee on the Environment and Hazardous Materials 3/14/2005 RECOMMENDATIONS Continued remediation of sites throughout the basin Additional research on fish in the lower Coeur d Alene River Study bull trout and cutthroat populations Effects of bank stabilization

10 THANK YOU