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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Nov. 10, 1999
99-236
Contact: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Manager, 509-456-4464; pager, 509-622-1289
SPOKANE- The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is proposing to exempt from dangerous-waste regulations the tailings that would be generated if the Pend Oreille Mine near Metaline Falls is re-opened.
Cominco American Inc. (Cominco) is proposing to re-open the mine after more than 20 years of inactivity. Ecology's tentative decision to exempt the tailings from the regulations will be discussed at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at a public meeting being held at the Cutter Theatre in Metaline Falls.
The proposed exemption is explained in a document called Conditional Exemption from State of Washington Dangerous Waste Regulations of Pend Oreille Mine's Tailing Disposal Facility. It is available for review at Ecology's office in Spokane and at the Metaline Falls Library. Public comments will be accepted until Dec. 18.
Ecology has proposed the exemption because Cominco has shown that the tailings piles from the mine's past operations have had little effect on the environment. Cominco has met all the requirements of a dangerous-waste exemption.
The old tailings piles were not lined, but tests show that metals such as zinc and lead have not leached to the ground water. By contrast, the landfill for the new tailings would have a double lining to further protect the ground water. It would also have a leachate collection system.
"Even though we are proposing to exempt the landfill from dangerous-waste regulations, the mine would comply with requirements that offer the same degree of environmental protection," said Keith Stoffel, Ecology's project manager.
Stoffel said that Ecology is proposing the exemption because of a wording problem within the state's dangerous waste regulations. The regulations define "facility" as all the land holdings of the company. Further they state that a "facility" may not be located within a flood plain. Since Cominco's land abuts the Pend Oreille River, Ecology would have had to deny the permit even though the tailings landfill is nearly a mile away from the river.
"Without the exemption, we would not be able to issue Cominco a permit to reopen the mine," Said Stoffel.
Washington's Metals Mining and Milling Act of 1994 requires that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be prepared. A consulting firm, ENSR of Redmond, Wash., has completed the preliminary draft EIS. The public will have an opportunity to review and comment on the draft EIS in January 2000.
The EIS will help determine what kinds of permits the company must obtain before operating the mine. No final decision on the dangerous-waste exemption will be made until the final EIS is complete and all public comments have been received and reviewed.
Cominco also will need to meet Ecology's specific requirements for disposing of tailings in a lined landfill. In addition, financial assurances will be required to verify that enough money is available to safely close the landfill when the mining stops.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
