Group Finds Flaws In Basin Cleanup Proposal Members Of Local Advisory Committee Raise Questions About Extent Of Cleanup And Authority

Draft legislation aimed at cleaning up mining-related pollution in the Coeur d’Alene River Basin has two big flaws, members of a citizens’ group said Wednesday night.

It doesn’t answer the question: How clean is clean?

The citizens advisory committee to the Coeur d’Alene Basin Restoration Project, known as the CAC, wants all of the streams and lakes to be “fishable and swimmable,” and most of them to be drinkable with proper treatment. There’s no such standard in the bill as written by Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho.

The bill gives too much cleanup authority to the governor of Idaho, and too little say-so to local people who have been working to restore the watershed.

“It seems like the CAC is being pushed aside,” said committee member George Brabb.

Brabb represents the Kootenai Environmental Alliance. The committee also includes representatives of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, landowners, industry and others. They met Wednesday evening with Sandy Patano, of Craig’s Coeur d’Alene office, as they’ve done routinely for a year to help craft legislation.

Craig has promised to introduce a bill that would use dollars from federal taxpayers and mining companies. A month ago, Craig staffers presented a proposal to the citizens’ group, and they have been going around the area meeting with interested people.

The bill sets up an advisory commission, then gives the state of Idaho a federal grant to see that its action plan is carried out. The bill doesn’t yet put a pricetag on the cleanup.

Craig still hopes to introduce legislation before Christmas, Patano said. She encouraged the public to submit written comments by Monday, or at least let Craig’s office know that comments were on their way.

“You’re being heard,” she assured Brabb and others present Wednesday at the Rose Lake community center.

There were some compliments for the bill.

Dolly Hartman applauded its 10 percent cap on administrative costs. Matt Fein of Hecla Mining Co. liked the way it deals with liability.

“I particularly like the ‘innocent landowners’ part,” said Fein. People who didn’t release any heavy metals into the river system are off the hook, he noted.

Others were uncomfortable with the governor’s ability, under the bill, to decide when mining companies had met their cleanup obligations.

Other concerns:

As the bill stands, people downstream in Spokane and Washington state don’t have a voice in the cleanup process - even though the metals-contaminated water flows into their landscape, too.

The bill could be interpreted to take away the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s authority over its reservation.

, DataTimes