See Also
Mining
Waste Guidance Documents and Reports
Inactive and Abandoned Mined Lands Assessment Project (DEQ Brochure, September 2007: pdf 601 kb,
2 pages)
DEQ's Mine Project Coordinator
Bruce Schuld
Waste Management and Remediation Division
1410 N. Hilton
Boise, Idaho 83706
ph: (208) 373-0554
fx: (208) 373-0154
bruce.schuld@deq.idaho.gov
|
 |
Mines and Mine Waste in Idaho:
DEQ's Preliminary Assessment
Program
| |
| |
| Background |
| DEQ often receives complaints or information about sites that may possibly be contaminated with hazardous waste (called a "site discovery"). These sites can include abandoned mines, rural airfields that have served as bases for aerial spraying, old landfills, illegal dumps, and abandoned industrial facilities that have known or suspected releases.
In February 2002, DEQ initiated a Preliminary Assessment Program to evaluate and prioritize assessment of potentially contaminated sites. Due to accessibility and funding considerations, priority is given to sites where potential contamination poses the most substantial threat to human health or the environment. Priority is also given on a watershed basis so that groups of mines or claims may be assessed together.
View Preliminary Assessment Workplan and Site Prioritization Process
(DEQ Publication, November 2002: pdf 54 kb, 6 pages) |
| |
| Remediation Options |
If DEQ finds that a substantial risk does exist, one of several actions may occur.
- If there is a responsible party who is willing to work with DEQ to manage or abate associated risks, the property owner may enter DEQ’s Voluntary Cleanup Program and implement corrective action.
- DEQ may instigate an administrative action by issuing the responsible party (owner/operator) a Notice of Violation (NOV) consistent with the Hazardous Waste Management Act (HWMA) or Environmental Protection and Health Act (EPHA). After issuing an NOV, DEQ will seek to alleviate the existing threat and may pursue penalties for violations of state law and cost recovery.
- In the event that no responsible party exists and there is an imminent and substantial threat to human health and/or the environment, DEQ's director may declare a state of emergency. This declaration would allow DEQ to use emergency response funding to hire remediation specialists to clean up the site. Emergency response funds are drawn from penalties imposed on responsible parties who have violated the HWMA.
- If state funding is unavailable, or the site falls under federal jurisdiction, DEQ may place the site on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Priority List. EPA then leads the site cleanup effort.
|
| |
| Completed Preliminary Assessments |
| To date, DEQ has evaluated the following properties:
- Idaho Almaden Mine, Weiser
- Yellow Jacket Mine, Yellow Jacket
- Tin Cup Mine, Yellow Jacket
- Red Jacket Mine, Yellow Jacket
- Columbia Mill, Yellow Jacket
- South Mountain Mine, Murphy
- Rexburg Airport, Rexburg
- Weiser Airport, Weiser
- Princess Blue Ribbon Mine, Fairfield
- Red Elephant Mine, Bellevue
- Camas Mine, Bellevue
- Grace Airstrip, Grace
- Bay State Group, Owyhee County
- Columbia Mine and Mill, Custer County
- Helena & Peacock Mine
- Bay Horse Group
- Ramshorn Mine (Custer County) aka Utah Boy, Quebec, Post Boy
- Bayhorse Mill/Smelter (Custer County)
- Pacific Mine (Custer County)
- Skylark Mine (Custer County)
- Beardsley Excelsior (Custer County)
- Lincoln Mine (Gem County)
- Osborne Mine (Gem County)
- Red Bird Mine (Custer County)
- Talache Mine (Bonner County)
- Keystone Mine (Custer County)
- Leviathan Mine (Gem County)
- Telache Mine (Bonner County)
- Bear Gulch Mine(Shoshone County) aka Bear Top/Orofino Millsite, Bear Top Mine, Orofino Mine, Lone Mine, Silver Scott
- Gold Hill Mine (Boise County) aka Iowa Mine
- Idaho Mine (Owyhee County)
- Black Jack-Trade Dollar (Owyhee County)
- Empire Mine (Custer County)
- Bassett Gulch Mill (Blaine County)
- Hansey Mine (Boise County)
- Granite Creek Mine (Boise County)
- Bannock Peak Convenience Store
- Lower Portnuef River
- Burns Gravel Pit
- Alder Creek Mining District (Custer County) aka Cossack Tunnel, Empire Mine, Atlantic Millsite, Blue Jay, Blue Jay No. 1, Blue Jay No. 2, Buena Vista, Continental, Copper Bullion, Eastern, Hannibal Claim, Khedive, Leslie W., Midwinter, Occidental, Pacific Millsite, Pasha, Remonitization, Rio Vista, Sultan, Wellington, Alberta Tunnel, "Headhouse", Bullion Tunnels, Blue Bird
- Panhandle Smelting and Refining (Boundary County) aka Black Rock
- Western States (ShoBan Tribe) Farm Facility
- Tribal (ShoBan) Farm Services Facility
- Whitedelf Mine (Boner County)
- Bullion Mine (Blaine County)
- Durango Mine (Blaine County)
- May Flower Mine (Blaine County)
- Quaker City Mine (Blaine County)
- Democrat Mine (Blaine County)
- Idaho Champion Deposit (Idaho County) aka Champion Group, Old Champion Mine, Crown Point Mine
- Belshazzar Mine(Boise County)
- Red Elephant Mine (Blaine County) aka Lipman Tunnel
- Bay State Mine (Blaine County)
- Red Elephant Mine (Blaine County)
- Whale Mine (Blaine County)
- Eureka Mine (Blaine County)
- Idahoan Mine (Blaine County)
- Arizona Mine (Blaine County)
- Bullion Mine (Blaine County)
- Ophir Mine (Blaine County)
- Durango Mine (Blaine County)
- Gold Bottom Mine (Blaine County)
- Jay Gould Mine (Blaine County)
- Greyhound Mine (Custer County)
- Apache Mill Site (Blaine County) aka Jay Gould
- Talache Millsite (Elmore County)
- White Rabbit Day Care (Blaine County)
- Livingston Mill (Custer County)
- Magdalena Mine (Blaine County)
- Star Mine (Blaine County)
- Star Hope Mine (Blaine County)
- Gamebet Mine (Blaine County)
- Dewey Mine Site (Owyhee County)
- Harmony Mine (Lemhi County)
- Red Elephant Millsite (Blaine County)
- State Land Millsite (Blaine County)
- Massaro Properties (Blaine County) aka Triumph Minerals Inc., and Mining Claims Maria Claim, Malta#1, Chicago, Monday, American Eagle, Crescent, Minerva, Triumph, Independence, Dippes, Ketchum, Tuesday, Silver Crown, Malta #2, Midland, La Barge, Domski, Union, West Shore, Thursday, Sunday, Northstar, Morning Star, Malta #3, Union, GE, May Leaf, True Friend, North Star
- Queen Bess Mine (Blaine County)
- Overland Mine (Blaine County)
- Little Giant Mine (Blaine County)
- Chicago L&M Mine (Blaine County)
- Monday Mine (Blaine County)
- Paymaster (Blaine County)
- Liberal King (Shoshone County)
- Abbie Mine (Blaine County)
- Sun Valley barite (Blaine County) aka Black Hawk Claim
- Friedman Mine(Blaine County)
- Bodie Claim (Blaine County) aka Bull Whacker Mine
- Salt Lake (Blaine County)
- Flat (Blaine County)
- Ohio (Blaine County)
- Walla Walla Millsite (Blaine County)
- Manchester Millsite(Blaine County)
- Red Cloud Mine(Blaine County) aka mine claims GES, Red Cloud, Regulator, Vindicator, Whale, Bay State, Troy, Red Cloud #2, Pasumpski, Green Mountain Boy, Cyclops
- Morman Girl (Blaine County)
- Everett (aka Barlow Development) Properties (Blaine County) aka Mining Claims Bogard, White Star, USA, True Blood, Sunnyside, Never Sweat, May, Lost Ben Ross, Dorothy #1, Black Spar, Good Hope, Silver Wedge, Geneva, Moonlight, Little Joe, Silver Tip, Lucky Boy, Little Wonder, Great Northern
- Bass Mine (Blaine County) aka Bass Group, Pass Group, Narrow Gauge Mine and Mining Claims Lafayette, Thurber, Ace, Deuce, Burnt Firs, Success, Justice Link, St. Louis, Mishap, Goffre
- Narrow Gauge (Blaine County) DEQ PA Pending 2007 aka Mining Claims Narrow Gauge No. 1, Narrow Gauge Number 2, Walla Walla, Manchester, MC, Catherine, Eighty-Nine, Green Mountain, Whale, 35, Bay State, Pass Group, Bass Group, Bass Mine, Mountain Boy, Bon Ton, Moscow, Dreadnaught, Dusty Bill, Independence, Homestake, Ace, Success, St. Louis, Thurber, Burnt Firs, Link, Goffre, Lafayette, Deuce, Justice, Mishap
- Venus (Blaine County) aka Triumph Mine
- Silver Key (Blaine County) aka Triumph Mine
- Blackbird (Boise County)
- Red Flag (Boise County)
- Cloverleaf (Boise County)
- Minnie Moore Mine (Blaine County) aka Lusk Tunnel, Queen of the Hills Mine, Michigan Tunnel, Minnie Moore Shaft Mine, Relief shaft, Alta Shaft, Broadford Shaft, Grey Copper, Overland, Con Virginia, Badger, Little Giant, Maggie, Relief, hope, Erie, Chili Fraction, Penobscot, Penobscot Fraction, Old Telegraph, Defiance, Alta, Broadford, Michigan, River View, San Jose, Mascot, Sunrise
- Seafoam Mine (Custer County)
- Talache Mill Tailings Impoundment (Elmore County)
- Monarch Stamp Mill (Elmore County)
- Brown Property aka Mascot Mine (Blaine County) aka Mine Claims Ohio, Oregonian, Utah, Nevada, Snow Slide
- Atlas Mine and Mill Supply Property (Blaine County) aka Jay Gould Mine Ext., Int Iris Mine, Durango Mine, Silver View Mine, Lucie Mine, Check Mine, Spotted Tail Mine, Durango Mine #2, Onieda Mine, Indian Queen Mine, Wiggletail Mine, Index Mine, Fairie Queen Mine
- Bloomfield Properties (Blaine County) aka Mine Claims: Allen, Tom Rodgers, Alpine
- Bullion Mine (Shoshone County)
- Hot Springs Mine (Bear Lake County)
- Diamond Gulch Mine (Bear Lake County)
- Consolidated Mine (Bear Lake County)
- Paris Mine (Bear Lake County)
- Bloomington Canyon Mine Site (Bear Lake County)
- Georgetown Canyon (Right Fork) Mine Site (Bear Lake County)
- Waterloo Mine Site (Bear Lake County)
- Bennington Canyon Mine Site (Bear Lake County)
- Georgetown Canyon Mine (Bear Lake County)
- Lanes Creek Mine (Bear Lake County)
- Conda/Woodall Mine (Bear Lake County)
Preliminary assessment reports are in various states of progress from having been completed and submitted to EPA for review to in progress with an anticipated final report in the next six to eight months. |
| |
| Potential Preliminary Assessment Candidates |
| The following sites have been determined to be potential candidates for future preliminary assessments:
- Pearl Mining District (Gem County)
- Cinnabar Mine (Valley County)
- Thunder Mountain Mine (Valley County)
- Dewey Mine (Valley County)
- Taylor Aviation (multiple rural airstrips)
- Idaho Department of Lands Gowen Field Landfill
- Amicus Mine (Blaine County)
- Parker Mine (Blaine County)
- St. Louis Mine (Blaine County)
- Elk Horn Mine (Blaine County)
- Montgomery Mine (Blaine County)
- Western Reserve(Blaine County)
- Black Smith (Blaine County)
- Gondolier (Blaine County)
- Amicus Mine (Blaine County)
- St. Louis Mine (Blaine County)
- Empire State Tunnel (Owyhee County)
- Idaho Tunnel (Owyhee County)
- Gold Hill Mine (Latah County) aka Iowa, Pioneer, Sunday, Confederate, Pioneer Mountain,
- Avon Mica Mine (Latah County)
- Mother Lode Mine (Idaho County)
- St. Louis (Idaho County)
- Dewey Occurrence (Idaho County)
- Jumbo Mine (Idaho County)
- South Fork Mine (Idaho County)
- Oro Grande (Idaho County)
- Gnome Mine (Idaho County) aka International
- Mikado Prospect (Idaho County)
- Waverly (Idaho County)
- Banner Prospect (Idaho County) aka Esmeralda
- Gold Bug (Idaho County) aka Gold Cross
- Northern Star (Idaho County) aka Dillinger, Black Diamond
- Comstock (Idaho County) aka Idaho Comstock, Independence, Dixie Comstock, Seattle, Idaho
- Congress Mine (Idaho County)
- Ontario Mine (Idaho County)
- Madre d’ Oro Prospect (Idaho County)
- American Eagle Mine and Mill (Idaho County) aka Surprise, Fansy, Fish Hawk,
- Mother Lode Mine (Idaho County)aka General Grant
- Ajax Mine (Idaho County) aka Mountain Boy, Midas
- Iron Mask Mine (Bonner County)
- Homestake Mine (Boundary County)
- Lakeview Limestone (Bonner County)
- Keep Cool Mine (Bonner County)
- Conjecture Mine (Bonner County)
- Idaho Lakeview Mine (Bonner County) aka Venezuela, Hewer, Western Adventure,
- Catherine Mine (Bonner County) aka Silver Butte Mine
- Hope and Faith Shaft (Bonner County) aka Erikson Shaft
- Golden Specter Mine (Boundary County)
- Sulfide Mine (Bonner County) aka Silver Fox, Thompson Group
- Surprise Mine (Bonner County)
- Brown Bear Mine (Bonner County) aka Silver Butte, Silver Hill, Erikson
- Milwaukee Mine (Bonner County) aka Kalispel, Kalispel Group, Milwaukee Camp No. 1, Calispel Group
- Wood Rat Mine (Bonner County) aka Rat Group, Kamisku, Golden Eagle, Burnt Cabin Group,
- Park Copper Mine (Shoshone County)
- Clearwater Gold and Copper Mine (Shoshone County)
- Jack Waite Mine (Shoshone County)
- Sidney Mine (Shoshone County)
- Comeback Mine (Boise County)
- Princess Blue Ribbon (Camas County)
- Imperial Lode (Blaine County)
- Vianna (Blaine County)
- Boulder Group (Blaine County)aka: Golden Glow Group, Boulder Consolidated Group, Sunset, Climax, Calamine, Mascot, Revenue, Triumph, Champion, Bazouk, Ophir, Trapper, Sullivan, Tip Top, Sun Rise, Louisa, Summit, Daisy, Mint, Ohio, Puritan, Crown Point
|
| |
| Contact Us |
| If you would like to find out whether a site in your area poses a possible threat, or provide DEQ with information about a site that you suspect is contaminated, contact your nearest DEQ regional office. |
|
|
