superfund and mining megasites - lessons from the coeur d’alene river … · 2021. 1. 14. · •...
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Superfund and Mining Megasites - Lessons from the
Coeur d’Alene River BasinDavid J Tollerud, MD, MPH
Professor and ChairDepartment of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
School of Public Health & Information SciencesUniversity of Louisville
Chair, Committee on Superfund Site Assessment and Remediation inthe Coeur d’Alene River Basin
National Research CouncilBoard on Environmental Studies and Toxicology
National Academies of Science
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The Coeur d’Alene River Basin
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The Coeur d’Alene River Basin
• Coeur d’Alene River System 70 miles long• Flows into 25 Mile long Coeur d’Alene
Lake• From there Flows into the Spokane River -
Source of Water for Spokane Washington• Home to the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane
Tribes• Long History of Mining
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Mining in the “Silver Valley”
• “Gold Rush” in 1880’s (Brief)• The “Real” Riches: Silver, Lead and Zinc• Over a century, 140 Million Tons of Ore• 20% of US Silver, Lead and Zinc Production• Massive Pollution of the River Basin and Lake
with Mine Tailings• Health Effects for Miners was Known
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Bunker Hill Mine and Smelting Complex
• Largest Mine in the Valley• Smelter Served over 100 Mines• Largest Smelter in the World• Produced High-Purity Silver, Zinc and Lead• 1973 -- Pollution Control Equipment Damaged
– Owners Secretly Elected NOT to Repair– Emitted 160 tons/month particulates (50-70% Lead)– Large Areas of the Basin Contaminated with Lead– Air Concentrations up to 30mcg/cu meter
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Human Health Concerns
• 1976 Study: 99% of Children had Blood Lead >40 mcg/dL, including 40% of Children aged 1-9
• Bunker Hill Complex Spent $21M to Decrease Air and Water Pollution
• Metal Prices Dropped, Plant Closed in 1981– Loss of 2,100 Jobs (75% of Region’s Workforce)
• 1983 “Bunker Hill Box” named NPL site for “Fast-track Clean-up)– 3 Miles Wide and 7 Miles Long– Remediation Began in 1986
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Contamination Outside the “Box”
• EPA Tried non-Superfund Mechanisms• Multiple Law Suites Brought Against Mines,
State, Feds• 1998 EPA Designated 1,500 Square Mile Area
as NPL Site: Stretching from Montana through Idaho to Spoke, WA
• Storm of Controversy– “Leave it Alone”– “Clean up to Historical Background”– “Protect Human Health, then STOP”
• NAS Asked to Evaluate
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EPA’s Responsibilities Under CERCLA
• Site Characterization• Risk Assessment
– Human Health– Ecological Health
• Clean-up Goals and Approaches (Remedial Investigation)
• “Selected Remedy”
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September 2002
Superfund Process Statement of Task
-Directs the committee to examine the scientific and technical practices in EPA’s decision making.
-Roughly parallels the Superfund Process.
-Directs the committee to develop lessons learned from the Coeur d’Alene River Basin and approaches for dealing with large complex Superfund sites.
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The “Health” Issues• Human Health
– Lead, Lead and Lead• Ecological Health
– Lead– Zinc
• Different Regulatory Teams• Different Political Agendas• Different Budgetary Implications
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Bunker HillMean Blood Lead Levels: 1974-2002
**
** **
U.S. Average
**
“Elevated” blood lead level
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Ecological Health
• Fish and Other Aquatic Life– Zinc
• Waterfowl (Tundra Swans, Geese, Ducks)– Lead
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Floodplain blanketed by sediment enriched in lead (Pb)(background Pb concentrations about 25 ppm)
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Selected Remedy… In briefHuman Health Protection: Final Remedy• Residential yard remediation, provide a barrier
above 700 mg/kg lead; remove and replace upper foot of soil when greater than 1000 mg/kg lead.
• Removals at public use areas, an institutional controls program, and a lead health intervention program.
• Cost estimate: approximately $92 million.
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Selected Remedy… In briefEnvironmental Protection: “Interim Remedy”,20-30 years of prioritized actions…
• OU2 & 3: Inconsistent with “Systems Approach”• Canyon and Ninemile Creeks: Combination of
removals and passive water treatment• South Fork Coeur d’Alene River: Removals and bank
stabilization• Main Stem Coeur d’Alene River: River bank removals,
riverbed dredging (one area), and “splay removals”.
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Selected Remedy… In brief
Environmental Protection: • Lower Basin floodplain: Remediate:
– 1,200 acres of wetland area
– 1,900 acres of lake bottom (less than 6ft deep)
• Coeur d’Alene Lake: Not included in theselected remedy
• Spokane River: Remediation of shoreline andsediment sites.
• Approximate Cost: $270 million
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NRC ReportStatement of Task
-Directs the committee to examine the scientific and technical practices in EPA’s decision making.
-Roughly parallels the Superfund Process.
-Directs the committee to develop lessons learned from the Coeur d’Alene River Basin and approaches for dealing with large complex Superfund sites.
September 2002
Superfund Process
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Site Characterization/Remedial Investigation
• Historical and collected data provide auseful depiction of metals concentrationsin the surface waters, sediments, and soilsover the wide spatial area.
• Groundwater – the primary source ofdissolved zinc to surface water – was notadequately addressed.
• The RI did not adequately address thesubstantial hydrologic variations that occurin the basin.
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Human Health Risk Assessment
• Lead intake by current and future populations of children was estimated with a reasonable degree of certainty.
• Universal blood lead screening of children aged 1-4 is indicated for the Coeur d’Alene River Basin given the high prevalence of environmental lead.
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Ecologic Risk Assessment
• Found the assessment to be generally consistent with best scientific practices.
• Only a limited assessment of impacts to some organisms and communities– Coeur d’Alene River– Coeur d’Alene Lake
• Extensive evaluation with nominal impact.
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Remedial Decisions for Human Health Protection
• The scientific evidence supporting substantial benefits of yard remediation for decreasing blood levels is currently weak.
• However, there are logical reasons to believe that yard remediations decrease exposure to lead and there is suggestive evidence of efficacy within the Bunker Hill Box and Basin.
• Barring recontamination, the proposed remedies are likely to reduce human health risks.– Long-term support will be needed to maintain the
integrity of the remedies.
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Remedial Decisions for Environmental Protection
• Feasibility and effectiveness of actions intended to protect fish and wildlife have not been adequately characterized.– Repositories– Floodplain removals to stem zinc input– Recontamination:
• Wetland remediations • Riverbank removals
• Recommendations largely recommend defining:– specific source areas contributing dissolved zinc– largest potentially mobile sources of lead
• Emphasize potential for recontamination in RD
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The Valley
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The Stakeholders
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The Issues
• Cost & Economic Impact to the Region• Feasibility • Recontamination• Further Damage to Environment• Safety to Humans (Traffic Accidents)• What About the Lake?• Oversight and Funding Over Centuries???
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Mining Megasites
• Necessary to establish long-term management, funding, and administrative structures; Where final remedies cannot be implemented, establish a rigorous adaptive management process.
• The committee does not recommend amending CERCLA, but there has to be flexibility.