Bunker Hill Sediment Characterization Study
Abstract
The long history of mineral extraction in the Coeur d’Alene Basin has left a legacy of heavy metal laden mine tailings that have accumulated along the Coeur d’Alene River and its tributaries (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2001; Barton, 2002). Silver, lead and zinc were the primary metals of economic interest in the area, but the ores contained other elements that have become environmental hazards including zinc, cadmium, lead, arsenic, nickel, and copper. The metals have contaminated the water and sediments of Lake Coeur d’Alene, and continue to be transported downstream to Spokane Washington via the Spokane River. In 1983, the EPA listed the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex on the National Priorities List. Since that time, many of the most contaminated areas have been stabilized or isolated, however metal contaminants continue to migrate through the basin. Designation as a Superfund site causes significant problems for the economically depressed communities in the area. Identification of primary sources of contamination can help set priorities for cleanup and cleanup options, which can include source removal, water treatment or no action depending on knowledge about the mobility of contaminants relative to water flow. The mobility of contaminant mobility under natural or engineered conditionsmore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 971372
- Report Number(s):
- INL/EXT-09-16499
TRN: US201004%%447
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-05ID14517
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES/GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE STUDIES AND CLIMATE MITIGATION; ARSENIC; CADMIUM; CHEMICAL STATE; CONTAMINATION; COPPER; ECONOMICS; HEAVY METALS; MINING; NICKEL; REMOVAL; RIVERS; SEDIMENTS; SILVER; TAILINGS; US EPA; US SUPERFUND; WATER CHEMISTRY; WATER TREATMENT; ZINC; Coeur d'Alene Basin; contaminant mobility; heavy metals; National Priorities List
Citation Formats
Yancey, Neal A, and Bruhn, Debby F. Bunker Hill Sediment Characterization Study. United States: N. p., 2009.
Web. doi:10.2172/971372.
Yancey, Neal A, & Bruhn, Debby F. Bunker Hill Sediment Characterization Study. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/971372
Yancey, Neal A, and Bruhn, Debby F. 2009.
"Bunker Hill Sediment Characterization Study". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/971372. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/971372.
@article{osti_971372,
title = {Bunker Hill Sediment Characterization Study},
author = {Yancey, Neal A and Bruhn, Debby F},
abstractNote = {The long history of mineral extraction in the Coeur d’Alene Basin has left a legacy of heavy metal laden mine tailings that have accumulated along the Coeur d’Alene River and its tributaries (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2001; Barton, 2002). Silver, lead and zinc were the primary metals of economic interest in the area, but the ores contained other elements that have become environmental hazards including zinc, cadmium, lead, arsenic, nickel, and copper. The metals have contaminated the water and sediments of Lake Coeur d’Alene, and continue to be transported downstream to Spokane Washington via the Spokane River. In 1983, the EPA listed the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex on the National Priorities List. Since that time, many of the most contaminated areas have been stabilized or isolated, however metal contaminants continue to migrate through the basin. Designation as a Superfund site causes significant problems for the economically depressed communities in the area. Identification of primary sources of contamination can help set priorities for cleanup and cleanup options, which can include source removal, water treatment or no action depending on knowledge about the mobility of contaminants relative to water flow. The mobility of contaminant mobility under natural or engineered conditions depends on multiple factors including the physical and chemical state (or speciation) of metals and the range of processes, some of which can be seasonal, that cause mobilization of metals. As a result, it is particularly important to understand metal speciation (National Research Council, 2005) and the link between speciation and the rates of metal migration and the impact of natural or engineered variations in flow, biological activity or water chemistry.},
doi = {10.2172/971372},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/971372},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2009},
month = {Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2009}
}