Coeur d'Alene Basin Natural Resource Trustees Complete First Mining-Related Interim Restoration Plan

Plan identifies restoration projects for natural resource systems damaged by historic mining wastes

The Trustees, a partnership between the Department of the Interior (BLM and USFWS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, released their first Interim Restoration Plan (IRP) on May 21. The IRP identifies restoration projects for natural resource systems damaged by historic mining wastes discharged into the rivers or deposited on land, migrating into ground and surface water. Mining left behind contaminated waste rock, tailings, mine drainage and arsenic, cadmium, lead and zinc contaminated sediment throughout the 19,200 acre lower basin floodplain.

The Trustees have approximately $5 million available from previous NRDA settlements for these projects, including additional work on BLM land in the Pine Creek drainage. The Trustees will implement the restoration activities in coordination with and to complement the Superfund cleanup activities being performed by the EPA and the State of Idaho.  Online news release: Coeur d'Alene Basin IRP/EA and FONSI