nates
Environmental Protection
^Agency
Public Health
Prevent. Promote. Protect.
The Silver Valley and the Coeur d'Alene
Basin are great places to live, work, and play.
Knowing the facts about our area will help
keep you and your family safe and healthy. Since the
late 1800's, the Silver Valley has been a major mining
area and one of the largest silver producing areas of
the world. Past mining practices left behind metals
like lead and arsenic in the environment.
Cleanup has been under way since the 1980s.
Together, we have made great progress in reducing
risks.
For example, over 6,000 properties have been cleaned
up in the Box and Upper and Lower Basin (see map).
Properties include residential, commercial, and public
properties such as parks and school grounds.
However, lead and other metals remain in areas like
hillsides, some river beaches and floodplains, and other
recreational areas.
This brochure suggests practical tips on how to further
reduce lead exposure and safely enjoy this beautiful
environment.
Look inside for tips, to-do's, and resources.
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Facts About Lead
In our area, lead from past mining practices is typically found in:
^ soil on hillsides in the "Box" and around old mill sites in the
Basin
> soil on the floodplain and beaches along the South Fork and
the Coeur d'Alene River
> dirt tracked into vehicles or into the home from these areas
> soil underneath clean soil caps (usually 1 foot deep), under
foundations and in dirt basements
> unkept ventilation systems, insulation, and attic spaces which
collected contaminated dust from the 1980s
Lead was once used in gasoline.
Lead can be present in paint produced before 1978.
Some toys and ceramics may contain lead.
Lead is taken into the body primarily by swallowing it.
Swallowing even small amounts of lead (less than a quarter
teaspoon of contaminated dust or soil) can harm a child.
Young children crawling on the ground and putting hands in
their mouths have the most risk.
There is no safe amount of lead in the body.
Why Lead
Poses a Risk
Lead is most dangerous to
young children, pregnant
women, and unborn children.
It can cause learning
disabilities, behavioral
problems and slower growth.
Lead can pose a risk to adults,
too, causing memory loss,
irritability, high blood pressure
and muscle or joint pain.
For more information, visit the
Panhandle Health District's
web page at
^ www.phd1.idaho.gov/
institutional/lead.cfm
l_ _ _ ^ Kellogg
Catald
Pinehufst Smelterville
The Bunker Hill Superfund Site covers parts of northern Idaho and eastern Washington
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Keep Clean, Eat Clean, Play Clean !
Keep Clean
Keep floors washed and vacuumed.
Remove household dust by damp dusting.
Remove shoes before entering your home.
Purchase clean sand for sandboxes and clean soil
for landscaping.
Wash toys, bottles and pacifiers if they have been
in contact with dust or dirt.
Promptly wash dusty or dirty outdoor clothes.
Don't wear them around the house.
Eat Clean
Wash hands and face before eating.
Eat at a clean table. Throw away any food
dropped on the ground.
Drink, cook or wash only with water from home
or an approved source. Do not use river water.
Don't eat wild plants from the flood plain, river
or lake areas.
Feed your kids a healthy diet rich in iron
and calcium.
Play Clean
Play in grassy areas and places that have been cleaned up.
Steer clear of areas with soil that won't grow grass, like mounded dirt and hillsides.
Wash hands after contact with the soil.
Have children play in grassy areas away from loose soil, dust and muddy areas. No mud pies!
Don't remove or take home any soil or plants.
Remove loose soil from your clothes, shoes, camping equipment, toys, ATVs and pets prior to heading home.
Keep soiled items in a plastic bag and wash them separately.
Riley Raccoon says, "Keep Clean, Eat Clean, Play Clean."
Riley helps Panhandle Health District spread the word about
playing safe in an area with historical mining contamination.
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The Cleanup
In 1983, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) listed the "Bunker Hill Mining and
Metallurgical Complex" as a Superfund site. The
project area covers parts of northern Idaho and eastern
Washington. It is made up of the original 21 square
mile "Box" and contaminated areas in the "Coeur
dAlene Basin."
EPA, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ), Panhandle Health District (PHD), the Basin
Environmental Improvement Project Commission
(BEIPC), and the Coeur dAlene Tribe are making
great progress meeting cleanup goals. Many other
federal, state, and local agencies, environmental
groups, and local community members are also
involved.
The cleanup team's first priority is to protect human
health. Environmental studies found that dirt, dust,
and sediments are the main sources of community
lead exposure.
Workers test soil in people's yards, playgrounds, parks,
commercial properties, recreation areas, street rights
of way and other areas. Where soils test above action
levels, the primary cleanup method for residential
properties is to remove and replace the top 12 inches
of soil or place a clean 12 inch cap, often called a
barrier. The removed soils are trucked to repositories
to be safely managed and contained. Because lead and
arsenic remain under the clean cap, the Panhandle
Health District runs the Institutional Controls
Program (ICP) to protect and maintain barriers to
exposure (see next page). Workers also test private
drinking water wells.
Property cleanups are complete in the Box and
ongoing in the Basin. Soil replacement, community
health awareness, and the ICP (see below) are all
working together to protect community health. Since
the cleanup began, children's average blood lead levels
have dropped sharply (see graph).
Percent of Children with High Blood Lead Levels,
Kellogg and Basin, 1988-2012
60% -,
Y&ar -*-Basin
Coeur d'Alene Basin Blood Lead Levels. Kellogg Panhandle Health District. 2012.
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What's Going On Now?
Continuing residential and commercial property
cleanup
Starting contaminated groundwater collection and
treatment
Cleaning up some recreational areas along the
Spokane River
Developing plans to address recreational and wildlife
areas in the Lower Basin
Managing the local Institutional Controls Program
Addressing contaminated paved and unpaved
non-federal public roads
Cleaning up mine waste at non-operating
mine and mill sites in the Upper Basin
Taking steps to keep cleaned up areas clean
Providing and operating repositories to safely
secure waste soils
Continuing public outreach and education
What You Can Do
Have Your Child's Blood Lead Tested
The only way to know your child's blood lead level is to test it. Each summer, Panhandle Health District offers
free blood lead testing for young children. PHD also provides free, private consultations on how to reduce
exposures at home. For information, call 208-783-0707.
Consult with your Health Care Provider
Pregnant women, talk to your health care provider early about ways to avoid the risk of lead exposure.
Get Your Yard Tested
Contact DEQ_for information about getting your yard soil tested: 208-783-5781.
Follow the Institutional Controls . ,
Program (ICP)
Community members help keep contamination in check
by following the ICP. The ICP is a locally enforced set
of regulations to control re-contamination. It is operated
by PHD. Permits are needed for many types of indoor
and outdoor construction activities. ICP permits and
consultations are free. Some information is online at
^ http://bit.ly/Panhandle_Health
The ICP provides information and guidance through its
permitting program on how to safely manage soils with
high concentrations of metals. The ICP also provides a
location to safely dispose of soils with elevated metals
concentrations.
Remember, you must comply with the ICP before digging
on your property or starting some interior projects. For
details, call 8 208-783-0707.
Panhandle Health District
Offers Information and
Access to Vacuums
The PHD office at 114 W
Riverside in Kellogg offers
helpful information.
Topics include local lead
exposures, how to reduce
risks, how lead affects
the body, and information about buying and
selling property in the area.
PHD also loans vacuum cleaners to residents.
Frequent vacuuming often reduces in-home
exposure. For Information, call 208-783-0707.
Public Health
Prevent. Promote. Protect.
Panhandle Health District
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Information for Property Owners
The Institutional Controls Program tracks
completed cleanups, sampling results, and property
improvements. Records are commonly requested prior
to land sales and loan refinancing.
8 Call 208-783-0707.
Lead contaminated soil is part of federal lead
disclosure requirements. Learn more:
Guidelines for Property Owners Affected by Mine
Waste Within the Bunker Hill Superfund Site is
available at:
^S http://bit.ly/propowner
This document helps property owners understand
possible Superfund liability for mining related
waste on properties in the area. Contact Anne
McCauley, EPA 8 206-553-4689.
To learn about obligations to disclose before the
purchase and lease of housing built before 1978
and located within the Bunker Hill Superfund
Site, download a brochure at:
^ www. phdl .idaho.gov/institutional/docu-
ments/LeadSoil_OOO.pdf.
The brochure is called Lead Contaminated Soil
- Residential Real Estate Transaction Disclosure
Requirements: Information for Owners, Landlords
& Sellers, Buyers, and Renters, Real Estate Agents.
It defines "lead based paint hazard" and "soil lead
hazard." It also lists the obligations of the seller,
landlord, and real estate agent.
For a hard copy, call EPA at
8 800-424-4372 or 206-553-1200.
For questions, call Barbara Ross at
8 800-424-4372 Ext. 1985 or 206-553-1985.
Idaho state law requires certain disclosures by
seller/owners of residential property and real
estate brokers and salespersons regarding the
condition of certain real property.
> Idaho Code Sections 55-2501 through 2518,
the "Idaho Property Disclosure Act," requires
seller/owners of residential real property to
disclose the known presence of hazardous
materials or substances to prospective buyers.
> Idaho Code Sections 54-2086 and 54-2087 of
the "Idaho Real Estate License Law," requires
real estate brokers and salespersons to disclose
all adverse material facts actually known or
which reasonably should have been known
about the real estate to buyer/seller customers
and clients.
If you have any questions about these
requirements, these laws should be carefully
reviewed. The widely known and publicized
presence of lead and other heavy metals in soils
found throughout the Silver Valley/Coeur d'Alene
Basin are hazardous materials or adverse material
facts, which can require disclosure.
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Learn More and Get Involved
Rene Gilbert, EPA Community Liaison
B 208-659-5237
^S gilbert.maureen@epa.gov
Andrea Lindsay, EPA Community Involvement
B 800-424-4372, ext. 1896
^S lindsay.andrea@epa.gov
Denna Grangaard, DEQ_Public Outreach Analyst
B 208-783-5781
^S denna.grangaard@deq.idaho.gov
Attend the Citizens' Coordinating Council
meetings. This citizen's forum is the main avenue for
public input into Basin Commission activities. For
details, contact Jerry Boyd, CCC Chair,
B 509-455-6039
^S www.basincommission.com/CCC.asp
Join our mailing list!
EPA sends out updates and information about the
cleanup a few times a year. To join, fill out and mail
the form on the back of this document.
Participate in the Lower Basin Collaborative.
This citizen group came together to learn more about
cleanup issues in the Lower Basin, discuss possibilities
and impacts, and weigh in on cleanup options.
^S http://lowerbasincollaborative.wordpress.com
Read the Basin Bulletin
EPA publishes the Basin Bulletin three times a year.
It gives updates on the Superfund cleanup in the
Coeur d'Alene Basin. For more information about the
Bulletin, call: B Andrea Lindsay at 800-424-4372,
ext.1896 or visit ^http://go.usa.gov/4Z45.
Contacts
(Contacts may change over time. These contacts are based on staffing as of January 2013.)
Bill Adams, EPA, Seattle
B 800-424-4372 ext. 2806 ^ adams.bill@epa.gov
Ed Moreen, EPA, Coeur dAlene
B 208-664-4588 ^ moreen.ed@epa.gov
Rob Hanson, DEQi Boise
B 208-373-0290 ^ rob.hanson@deq.idaho.gov
Bruce Schuld, DEC^ Kellogg
B 208-783-5781 ^ schuld.bruce@deq.idaho.gov
Jerry Cobb, Panhandle Health District
B 208-783-0707 ^ jcobb@phdl.idaho.gov
Terry Harwood, Basin Environmental Improvement
Project Commission
B 208-783-2528 ^ terry.harwood@deq.idaho.gov
Web Resources
Panhandle Health District
www.phdl.idaho.gov/institutional/institutionalindex.cfm
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
www.deq.idaho.gov/bunkerhillsuperfundsite
Basin Environmental Improvement
Project Commission
www.basincommission.com
US Environmental Protection Agency
EPA - Coeur d'Alene Basin
yosemite.epa.gov/rlO/cleanup.nsf/sites/bh
EPA - Lead Health Information
www.epa.gov/lead
EPA on Facebook
www.facebook.com/cdabasin
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&ER&
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900, ETPA-081
Seattle, Washington 98101-3140
February 2013
Riley says,
Keep Clean,
Eat Clean,
Play Clean!
Pre-Sorted Standard
Postage and Fees Paid
U.S. EPA
Permit No. G-35
Seattle, WA
Healthy Living in
the Silver Valley and
Coeur d'Alene Basin
Read inside for details
Want updates on the environmental cleanup?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sends out cleanup updates and information
a few times a year. If you would like to be on the mailing list, please fill out this form,
clip it and mail it in a stamped envelope to the address at the bottom of the form. Or,
email your request to ^S lindsay.andrea@epa.gov
Name
Email
Organization
Address
City
State
Send this
form to:
^
Zip
Andrea Lindsay
EPA Region 10, Suite 900
200 Sixth Avenue, ETPA-081
Seattle, WA 981 01
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