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A Silver Lining in the Silver Valley Idaho Bench-Bar Conference: Boise, Idaho

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A Silver Lining in the Silver Valley Idaho Bench-Bar Conference: Boise, Idaho A Silver Lining in the Silver Valley Idaho Bench-Bar Conference: Boise, Idaho Prof. Clifford J. Villa University of New Mexico School of Law October 25, 2019 Disclaimer: Views expressed in this presentation are those of the presenter alone and do not necessarily represent official views of the United States, the State of New Mexico, or any government agency. The presenter gratefully acknowledges the contributions to this presentation from individuals including Bill Boyd, Curt Fransen, Rob Hanson, and Darrell Early. Framework: • The Silver Valley: 1883-1973 • The Box: 1973-1995 • The Basin: 1996-present 1883: Gold discovered in North Fork Coeur d’Alene Basin Prichard Creek (c.1883). Photo: PATRICIA HART & IVAN NELSON, MINING TOWN: THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF T.N. BARNARD AND NELLIE STOCKBRIDGE FROM THE COEUR D’ALENES The Silver Valley – 1884: Morning Mine established near Mullan, Idaho 1885: Bunker Hill mine staked by Noah Kellogg 1889: Union Pacific Railroad line arrives to serve local mines 1891: Hecla Mining Company founded The Silver Valley – Hecla Mine (1910), Burke, Idaho. Photo: PATRICIA HART & IVAN NELSON, MINING TOWN: THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF T.N. BARNARD AND NELLIE STOCKBRIDGE FROM THE COEUR D’ALENES The Silver Valley – 1890s: Mining unions vs. mining companies Wreckage of Bunker Hill mill (1899). Photo: PATRICIA HART & IVAN NELSON, MINING TOWN: THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF T.N. BARNARD AND NELLIE STOCKBRIDGE FROM THE COEUR D’ALENES The Silver Valley – 1903: Downstream farmers vs. upstream mines The Silver Valley – 1920s: Smelter construction / operation The Silver Valley – 1920s: Smoke easements / overflow easements The Silver Valley – 1920s: Smoke easements / overflow easements The Silver Valley – 1930: Luama v. Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining (9th Cir. 1930) The Silver Valley – 1931: Idaho legislature creates Coeur d’Alene River and Lake Commission 1920 – 1960s: Tailings impoundments constructed The Box – The Box – 1973: Baghouse fire Chronology— Relationship of Blood Lead Level and IQ Lanphear, et al., 113 Environ. Health Perspect. 894-899 (2005) 105 5 knot restricted spline log-linear model 100 IQ 95 90 85 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Blood Lead (µg/dL) The Box – 1970: Clean Air Act passed Lead Industries Ass’n v. EPA, 647 F.2d 1130 (D.C. Cir. 1980) Bunker Hill Lead & Zinc Smelter v. EPA, 658 F.2d 1280 (9th Cir. 1981) The Box – 1972: Clean Water Act passed Idaho Mining Ass’n v. B row ner, 90 F.Supp.2d 1078 (D. Idaho 2000) The Box – 1980: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) 1983: NPL listing for Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex The Box – 1991: ROD for “Populated Areas” of the Box 1992: ROD for “Non-populated Areas” 1994: Consent decree for Populated Areas 1995: Consent decree for Non-Populated Areas The Box – continuing challenges... Institutional Controls Program Water Treatment The Basin – The Basin – 1986: State of Idaho natural resource damages settlement Woodland Park, Canyon Creek The Basin – 1986: State of Idaho natural resource damages settlement 1991: Civil complaint filed by Coeur d’Alene Tribe 1996: Civil complaint filed by United States 2000: Consent decree with Union Pacific Railroad Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes The Basin – 1997: Complaints amended to add parties … 1998: Interrogatories, depositions, motions practice, interlocutory appeals … United States v. ASARCO et al., 214 F.3d 1104 (9th Cir. 2000) 2001: Trial – U.S. v. ASARCO, et al. • 78 days • 100 witnesses • 8,696 exhibits • 16,000 pages of testimony The Basin – 2002: Interim ROD for Cd’A Basin $340 million 2012: Cd’A ROD Amendment $635 million The Basin – 2003: U.S. v. ASARCO, et al., 280 F.Supp.2d 1094 (D. Idaho 2003) In the case of CERCLA, the Court finds its hands are often tied…. The Basin – 2003: U.S. v. ASARCO, et al., 280 F.Supp.2d 1094 (D. Idaho 2003) The Court finds Defendants have presented concrete evidence to support divisibility in this case…. The experts on both sides … agree that a “reasonable basis” for apportioning is to consider the amount of mining waste discharged into the waterways. The Basin – 2003: U.S. v. ASARCO, et al., 280 F.Supp.2d 1094 (D. Idaho 2003) ASARCO: 22% Hecla: 31% The Basin – 2005: Asarco bankruptcy filing 2009: Asarco bankruptcy settlement: $482 million 2011: Hecla settlement: $263 million $745 million The Basin – Coeur d’Alene Work Trust: $535 million (May 2019) Upper Basin cleanup: Canyon Creek (May 31, 2019) Natural resource restoration: Tundra swans – Schlepp wetlands (March 13, 2014) Restoration Partnership: • Coeur d’Alene Tribe • Idaho DEQ • Idaho Fish & Game • U.S. Burea of Land Mgmt • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service • U.S. Forest Service Lake Coeur d’Alene Lake Coeur d’Alene ?? Kellogg, Idaho (May 31, 2019).
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