June 21, 2022
Contact: Andy Helkey, Kellogg Remediation Manager, Andy.Helkey@deq.idaho.gov
KELLOGG – The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Panhandle Health District (PHD), and Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission (BEIPC) Citizen Coordinating Council (CCC) are hosting two townhall meetings on proposed changes to the regulatory framework for the Institutional Controls Program (ICP) at the Bunker Hill Superfund Site.
The ICP is a local program designed to ensure the integrity of protective barriers placed over contaminants left behind from legacy mining. The PHD office in Kellogg has managed the ICP for over 25 years under health district rules. However, due to regulatory changes introduced during the 2021 legislative session, DEQ and PHD are working collaboratively to draft a statute, which would be sponsored by DEQ, to provide a more permanent solution for the ICP regulatory framework.
Under the proposed statute, the ICP would move under DEQ’s authority while PHD would continue to administer the program locally. This would maintain the program as-is with no major day-to-day changes in how the ICP operates.
The BEIPC CCC will host two public meetings to discuss the regulatory changes. The first meeting is scheduled for July 12, 2022, at 9 am PDT at the DEQ Coeur d’Alene Regional Office (2110 Ironwood Parkway in Coeur d’Alene). The second meeting is scheduled for August 16, 2022, at 9 am PDT at the Shoshone Medical Center Community Outreach Center (9 Country Club Lane in Pinehurst).
Additional information is available on DEQ’s Bunker Hill Superfund Site webpage. For technical assistance or questions concerning this process, contact Andy Helkey, DEQ’s Kellogg remediation manager:
Andy Helkey, Kellogg Remediation Manager
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
1005 McKinley Ave.
Kellogg, ID 83837
(208) 783-5781
Andy.Helkey@deq.idaho.gov