North Idaho Mining and its environmental issues (Sandpoint: live in, pollution)

[ejay]

https://www.inlander.com/spokane/pol...t?oid=18572800

Story from the inlander. If the heavy metals get released into the lake it’s game over. No one knows how to remove them once they are in the water column. Everyone who lives here in the coeur d alene basin will be effected. Including Spokane. All of these homes that have went up around the lake have been adding to the problem. The lake has to become a priority. The City of Coeur d alene has resisted the clean up in the past. If the lake has a problem it’s good bye Coeur d alene. The amount of people who will move and not come to visit will shrink to almost nothing. Without lake coeur d alene what is the reason to live here. And if the pollution gets to the aquifer then what? All of us are screwed then. How will we remove the contamination from the underground lake? I’m disappointed with my local government. They have put the population at risk so they could have tourism and growth. But all of that could be gone because of their inaction. And we the folks who trusted and counted on them to be honest and do the right thing for the community as a whole. We are now realizing that they were only protecting their best interests. I hope the lake does not release its poison and they can fix it. For all out sakes.

[MTJoe]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

... I'm much more concerned about the current mining prospects on the Montana side in the Cabinet Mt wilderness...

Curious as to what your concerns are. You can PM me if you'd like.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

MTJoe,

Thanks, and if you can tell me anything new that isn't mentioned here, I'd love to hear it. We've been monitoring this since 2008. I am not an "environmentalist," and I do support job creation in rural areas, but this is too overwhelming for a fragile area. Our place is close to the river just across the Montana border (NIMBY, absolutely). As you can tell from the map below, Noxon is just across the border, and all the "stuff" from the mine is going to end up in Lake Pend Oreille.

https://www.hecla-mining.com/rock-creek/

https://earthjustice.org/news/press/...ck-creek-mine/

https://www.lakependoreillewaterkeep...ck-creek-mine/

After many lengthy legal battles, on Wednesday June 17, the Ksanka Kupaqa Xa’lcin, a tribal group linked to the Ksanka Band of the Ktunaxa (Kootenai) Nation and six environmental groups filed a motion for summary judgement in their lawsuit against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service pertaining to the mine. The groups do not believe a trial is needed and that the area should be preserved for endangered species. The environmental and tribal groups hope that any chances for the construction of the mine will soon come to an end.
The groups argue that violations against the Endangered Species Act would be committed if the mine were to proceed with blasting a 6,300-foot underground adit to access the mineral deposits. The blasting would generate 90,000 tons of waste. The environmental group’s also contend that the mine would inflict permanent harm on bull trout by draining water from wilderness streams on which the species depends. Additionally, construction of the mine threatens the public’s enjoyment of the area for solitude, recreation and wildlife viewing.

[ejay]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

MTJoe,

Thanks, and if you can tell me anything new that isn't mentioned here, I'd love to hear it. We've been monitoring this since 2008. I am not an "environmentalist," and I do support job creation in rural areas, but this is too overwhelming for a fragile area. Our place is close to the river just across the Montana border (NIMBY, absolutely). As you can tell from the map below, Noxon is just across the border, and all the "stuff" from the mine is going to end up in Lake Pend Oreille.

https://www.hecla-mining.com/rock-creek/

https://earthjustice.org/news/press/...ck-creek-mine/

https://www.lakependoreillewaterkeep...ck-creek-mine/

https://www.hcn.org/articles/contami...ollution-mines

Did you see this article? It’s not just the Anaconda mine. It’s also other abandoned mines.

https://vp-mi.com/news/2020/dec/30/clark-fork-river/

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by ejay

https://www.hcn.org/articles/contami...ollution-mines

Did you see this article? It’s not just the Anaconda mine. It’s also other abandoned mines.

https://vp-mi.com/news/2020/dec/30/clark-fork-river/

With all the effort put into cleaning the river in Montana (and like the first article says, it is an iconic river) it would be a shame if a setback like the Rock Creek Mine happened. The problem with the contaminated fish is mainly in the upper Clark Fork, not the Idaho portion (apparently), but it's still a concern.

[ejay]

I have read on line that there is still companies that want to mine bunker hill. They say that there is still a lot of silver left in that mine. It would be one thing if they could get it without pollution. I think that will be the struggle they will face if they want to re open it. I’m sure someone will figure it out. When there is a will there is a way. It’s just a matter of time really.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by ejay

I have read on line that there is still companies that want to mine bunker hill. They say that there is still a lot of silver left in that mine. It would be one thing if they could get it without pollution. I think that will be the struggle they will face if they want to re open it. I’m sure someone will figure it out. When there is a will there is a way. It’s just a matter of time really.

Bunker Hill may be too dangerous to mine farther.
The mine suffered a major cave-in over 40 years ago that killed 21 miners. While the mine didn't shut down totally afterward, I'm sure the area of the cave-in was abandoned.

The district has always had unforeseen water problems in some of the mines. Some have always stayed dry, while ofhters became wet, partially full of hot water. Sometimes the leakage is found and plugged, and sometimes it's never found.
That leakage can close a section forever, and rarely, the entire mine. Hitting lethal underground deposits of coal gas (methane) can close off a portion or an entire mine, and there are lots of other natural causes that can close them.

[ejay]

I was responding to banjo mike. He didn’t see my link in the other post. Lame.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by ejay

I was responding to banjo mike. He didn’t see my link in the other post. Lame.

I responded to the only post I saw of yours in the topic thread. It had no link I could see in it.

[volosong]

[mod note] The two currently active mining threads merged into this one thread. [mod note]