SUPERFUND AND MINING MEGASITES
LESSONS FROM THE COEUR D’ALENE RIVER BASIN
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This project was supported by Contract No. X-82822101-0 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.
Cover photo courtesy of Coeur d’Alene Visitor’s Bureau.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
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COMMITTEE ON SUPERFUND SITE ASSESSMENT AND REMEDIATION IN THE COEUR D’ALENE RIVER BASIN
Members
DAVID J. TOLLERUD (Chair),
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
HERBERT L. ALLEN,
University of Delaware, Newark
LAWRENCE W. BARNTHOUSE,
LWB Environmental Services, Oak Ridge, TN
CORALE L. BRIERLEY,
Brierley Consultancy LLC, Highlands Ranch, CO
EDWIN H. CLARK II,
Clean Sites Inc., Washington, DC
THOMAS W. CLARKSON,
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
EDMUND A.C. CROUCH,
Cambridge Environmental, Inc., Cambridge, MA
ALISON CULLEN,
University of Washington, Seattle
JOSEPH GRAZIANO,
Columbia University, New York, NY
DAVID L. JOHNSON,
State University of New York, Syracuse
RONALD J. KENDALL,
Texas Tech University, Lubbock
JOHN C. KISSEL,
University of Washington, Seattle
THOMAS W. LAPOINT,
University of North Texas, Denton
DAVID W. LAYTON,
University of California, Livermore
C. HERB WARD,
Rice University, Houston, TX
SPENCER WOOD,
Boise State University, Boise, ID
ROBERT WRIGHT,
Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA
Project Staff
KARL E. GUSTAVSON, Study Director
RAYMOND A. WASSEL, Program Director
CAY BUTLER, Editor
MIRSADA KARALIC-LONCAREVIC, Research Associate
OLUKEMI O. YAI, Program Assistant
SAMMY BARDLEY, Librarian
ALEXANDRA STUPPLE, Senior Editorial Assistant
Sponsor
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY1
Members
JONATHAN M. SAMET (Chair),
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
RAMÓN ALVAREZ,
Environmental Defense, Austin, TX
THOMAS BURKE,
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
JUDITH C. CHOW,
Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV
COSTEL D. DENSON,
University of Delaware, Newark
E. DONALD ELLIOTT,
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Washington, DC
CHRISTOPHER B. FIELD,
Carnegie Institution of Washington, Stanford, CA
SHERRI W. GOODMAN,
Center for Naval Analyses, Alexandria, VA
JUDITH A. GRAHAM,
American Chemistry Council, Arlington, VA
DANIEL S. GREENBAUM,
Health Effects Institute, Cambridge, MA
ROBERT HUGGETT,
Michigan State University, East Lansing
BARRY L. JOHNSON,
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
JAMES H. JOHNSON,
Howard University, Washington, DC
JUDITH L. MEYER,
University of Georgia, Athens
PATRICK Y. O’BRIEN,
ChevronTexaco Energy Technology Company, Richmond, CA
DOROTHY E. PATTON,
International Life Sciences Institute, Washington, DC
STEWARD T.A. PICKETT,
Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY
JOSEPH V. RODRICKS,
ENVIRON Corporation, Arlington, VA
ARMISTEAD G. RUSSELL,
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
MITCHELL J. SMALL,
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
LISA SPEER,
Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, NY
KIMBERLY M. THOMPSON,
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
G. DAVID TILMAN,
University of Minnesota, St. Paul
CHRIS G. WHIPPLE,
ENVIRON Corporation, Emeryville, CA
LAUREN ZEISE,
California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland
Senior Staff
JAMES J. REISA, Director
DAVID J. POLICANSKY, Scholar
RAYMOND A. WASSEL, Senior Program Officer for Environmental Sciences and Engineering
KULBIR BAKSHI, Senior Program Officer for Toxicology
EILEEN N. ABT, Senior Program Officer for Risk Analysis
K. JOHN HOLMES, Senior Program Officer
SUSAN N.J. MARTEL, Senior Program Officer
SUZANNE VAN DRUNICK, Senior Program Officer
ELLEN K. MANTUS, Senior Program Officer
RUTH E. CROSSGROVE, Senior Editor
OTHER REPORTS OF THE BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY
Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion (2005)
Air Quality Management in the United States (2004)
Endangered and Threatened Species of the Platte River (2004)
Atlantic Salmon in Maine (2004)
Endangered and Threatened Fishes in the Klamath River Basin (2004)
Cumulative Environmental Effects of Alaska North Slope Oil and Gas Development (2003)
Estimating the Public Health Benefits of Proposed Air Pollution Regulations (2002)
Biosolids Applied to Land: Advancing Standards and Practices (2002)
The Airliner Cabin Environment and Health of Passengers and Crew (2002)
Arsenic in Drinking Water: 2001 Update (2001)
Evaluating Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs (2001)
Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act (2001)
A Risk-Management Strategy for PCB-Contaminated Sediments (2001)
Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals (4 volumes, 2000-2004)
Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury (2000)
Strengthening Science at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2000)
Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment (2000)
Ecological Indicators for the Nation (2000)
Waste Incineration and Public Health (1999)
Hormonally Active Agents in the Environment (1999)
Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter (4 volumes, 1998-2004)
The National Research Council’s Committee on Toxicology: The First 50 Years (1997)
Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Human Diet (1996)
Upstream: Salmon and Society in the Pacific Northwest (1996)
Science and the Endangered Species Act (1995)
Wetlands: Characteristics and Boundaries (1995)
Biologic Markers (5 volumes, 1989-1995)
Review of EPA’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (3 volumes, 1994-1995)
Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment (1994)
Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children (1993)
Dolphins and the Tuna Industry (1992)
Science and the National Parks (1992)
Human Exposure Assessment for Airborne Pollutants (1991)
Rethinking the Ozone Problem in Urban and Regional Air Pollution (1991)
Decline of the Sea Turtles (1990)
Copies of these reports may be ordered from the National Academies Press
(800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313
www.nap.edu
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to protect human health and the natural environment. The agency’s mission includes enforcing and implementing environmental laws enacted by Congress, assessing environmental conditions, and solving current and anticipating future environmental issues. To assist EPA in addressing risks associated with chemical emergencies as well as abandoned hazardous waste sites, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980, better known as the Superfund Act. The Superfund program addresses short- and long-term risks of chemical spills and supports the permanent cleanup and rehabilitation of hazardous waste sites.
In 2002, Congress instructed EPA to ask the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct an independent evaluation of the Coeur d’Alene River basin Superfund site in northern Idaho as a case study to examine EPA’s scientific and technical practices in Superfund megasites, including physical site definition, human and ecologic risk assessment, remedial planning, and decision making. NRC established the Committee on Superfund Site Assessment and Remediation in the Coeur d’Alene River Basin. In this report, the committee analyzes the record of decision and supporting documents from this Superfund site to assess the adequacy and application of EPA’s own Superfund guidance in terms of available scientific and technical knowledge and best practices.
In the course of preparing this report, the committee held five meetings, including public sessions in Washington, DC; Wallace, Idaho; and Spokane, Washington—where local, state, tribal, and federal officials, as well as rep-
resentatives from the private sector and nongovernmental organizations, including regulated industries and citizen groups, were invited to meet with the committee and present their views on Superfund activities in the Coeur d’Alene River basin. Interested members of the public were also given an opportunity to speak on these occasions. The following individuals spoke at these meetings: U.S. Senator Larry Craig; U.S. Senator Michael Crapo; U.S. Congressman C. L. “Butch” Otter; Brian Cleary, counsel to Coeur d’Alene tribe; Ernest Stensgar, Chairman of the Coeur d’Alene tribe; Phillip Cernera, Coeur d’Alene tribe; Alfred Nomee, Coeur d’Alene tribe; Ian von Lindern, TerraGraphics Environmental Engineering; John Roland, Washington Department of Ecology; Robert Hanson, Mine Waste program manager; Stephen Allred, director, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality; Ron Roizen, Bill Rust, Frank Frutchey, Lee Haynes, Jack Riggs, Bob Hopper, Fred Brackebusch, Ivan Linscott, Shoshone Natural Resources Coalition Science Committee; Fred Kirschner, Spokane tribe; Rogers Hardy, Citizens Against Rail to Trail/Citizens Advocating Responsible Treatment; Thomas Pedersen, University of Victoria; David Moershel, Spokane physician and president of the Lands Council; Allen Isaacson, professor, Spokane Community College and former U.S. Forest Service supervisory hydrologist for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest; Bruce Lanphear, director, Cincinnati Children’s Environmental Health; Jerry Cobb, Panhandle Health District; Brad Sample, CH2M Hill; David Fortier, environment protection specialist, Bureau of Land Management; Paul Woods, Laura Balistrieri, Stephen Box, Nelson Beyer, U.S. Geological Survey; Daniel Audet, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Elizabeth Southerland, Michael Gearheard, Sheila Eckman, Anne Dailey, Mary Jane Nearman, Angela Chung, Marc Stifelman, Cami Grandinetti, Bill Adams, EPA.
In addition to the information from those presentations, the committee made use of the peer-reviewed scientific literature; government agency reports; information submitted to the committee by citizens, advocacy groups, and industry; and unpublished database information as well as related statistics and data directly obtained from EPA and the states of Idaho and Washington.
This report consists of nine chapters. The first chapter provides an overview of the committee’s charge, the issues related to this charge, and the approach the committee took in completing its task. Chapters 2 and 3 review the history of the Coeur d’Alene mining district and the relationship between the biologic, human, and physical environments in the river basin. Chapters 4-8 review scientific and technical questions relating to the remedial investigation, human and ecologic risk assessments, and remedial decisions set forth in EPA’s record of decision for the site and the supporting documents. Finally, Chapter 9 discusses lessons learned from the Coeur
d’Alene experience and suggests a new paradigm for addressing environmental and health concerns at large complex mining sites.
We wish to thank Earl Bennett, University of Idaho, and Teresa Bowers, Gradient Corporation, for their valuable service while they served on the committee. The committee is also grateful for the assistance of NRC staff in preparing this report: Karl Gustavson, study director; James Reisa, director of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology; Ray Wassel, program director; Ruth E. Crossgrove, senior editor; Cay Butler, editor; Mirsada Karalic-Loncarevic and Bryan Shipley, research associates; and Olukemi Yai, program assistant; as well as John Brown, Emily Brady, Dominic Brose, Alexandra Stupple, and others who supported the project as part of the Board’s staff.
Finally, I thank the members of the committee for their dedicated efforts throughout the development of this report.
David J. Tollerud, MD, MPH
Chair, Committee on Superfund Site Assessment and
Remediation in the Coeur d’Alene River Basin
Acknowledgment of Review Participants
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Craig Boreiko, International Lead Zinc Research Organization; Stephen E. Box, U.S. Geological Survey; Gary Diamond, Syracuse Research Corporation; Lorne G. Everett, Lakehead University and Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc.; Michael C. Kavanaugh, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.; Phillip E. LaMoreaux, P.E. LaMoreaux & Associates; Bruce P. Lanphear, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Dwayne Moore, Cantox Environmental, Inc.; Darrell K. Nordstrom, U.S. Geological Survey; Dianne Nielson, Utah Department of Environmental Quality; Benjamin Parkhurst, HAF Inc.; Katherine N. Probst, Resources for the Future; Joyce S. Tsuji, Exponent, Inc.; and Stephen Washburn, ENVIRON.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Dr. David G. Hoel, Medical University of South Carolina, and Dr. Perry L. McCarty, Stanford University. Appointed by the NRC, they were responsible for making certain