Superfund cleanup to be discussed

Idaho politicians have scheduled an Aug. 9 town hall meeting in Kellogg to discuss a proposed expansion of Superfund cleanup in the Coeur d’Alene Basin.

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo called the meeting to give local residents more opportunity for input, said his press secretary, Lindsay Nothern. Other participating officials include: Gov. Butch Otter; Chief Allan, chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe; and Shoshone County Commissioner Jon Cantamessa. Dennis McLerran, regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will also participate.

As the EPA charts the next phase of the Superfund cleanup, agency officials are focusing on historic mine waste’s role in polluting the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River and its tributaries.

The $1.3 billion plan targets more than 300 old mining sites and calls for expanded water treatment to remove heavy metals. Cleanup work would last 30 years or longer.

The town hall meeting runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 9, at Kellogg High School, 22 Jacob Gulch Road.

The EPA also has scheduled a public meeting on the cleanup Wednesday at Shoshone Medical Center’s health and education center, 858 Commerce Drive in Smelterville.

An open house runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a public meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The plan is available at go.usa.gov/igD and public libraries in Wallace, Spokane and Kellogg. In Coeur d’Alene, the plan can be viewed at North Idaho College’s Molestead Library.

Public comments will be accepted through Aug. 25 at cdabasin@epa.gov or by mail to Coeur d’Alene Basin Team, EPA, 1200 6th Ave., Suite 900, ECL-113, Seattle, WA 98101.