Cominco Progressing On Mine Reopening

The town of Metaline Falls, Wash., has hired an economic planner to help prepare for the reopening of the Pend Oreille Mine.

Cominco American has proposed reopening the 94-year-old zinc and lead mine as early as 2002. The mine would bring an estimated 168 jobs to Pend Oreille County for eight years.

Hiring the planner “is a way for us to maximize the positive economic effects while the mine is open and minimize the negative effects after it closes,” said Jane Reed, Metaline Falls mayor.

A $20,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service provided the funding to hire the planner, Kerri Simmons-Rodkey, for one year.

She will work with the Washington state communities of Metaline and Ione, as well as Metaline Falls. The area has about 1,000 residents.

Cominco American officials say they’re willing to contract for services such as environmental monitoring to help spur local economic development.

The planner might help existing companies identify services they could provide to Cominco American, Reed said. She could also help them identify other clients so their customer base continues after the mine closes.

“We envision this process being a blueprint for other small towns” in the similar situations, Reed said.

A final environmental statement on the reopening of the mine was released this month. Many public comments were supportive, citing the jobs the mine would bring to one of the most economically depressed areas of Washington state.

However, some concerns were raised about the mine water that would be discharged into the Pend Oreille River. The company proposes mining below the river, which means it will have to pump water out of the mine.

The state Department of Ecology has proposed a mixing zone in the river, which would allow Cominco American to exceed levels for some pollutants at the point the water is discharged. Members of the public will have another chance to comment on pollutant levels when the water discharge permit is developed, said Keith Stoffel, Ecology’s project coordinator.

Idaho Sen. Shawn Keogh, R-Sandpoint, is the new director of Associated Logging Contractors in Coeur d’Alene. The association represents 500 independent loggers across Idaho.

“It’s the same kind of public relations work, helping members of the public understand logging and forest management issues,” Keogh said.

About a quarter of the membership comes from Bonner and Boundary counties. For the past decade, Keogh was manager of the Timber Information Program at the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

Mitch Lippert is replacing Keogh as manager of the chamber’s Timber Information Program.

This sidebar appeared with the story: FAST FACT

To review it Copies of the final environmental impact statement for the Pend Oreille Mine are available at Department of Ecology offices in Spokane and Yakima, as well as public libraries in Metaline Falls, Newport, Republic, Colville and Tonasket.