Bunker Hill Mine and Smelting Complex
Encyclopedia
The Bunker Hill Mine and Smelting Complex ("Bunker Hill smelter"), was a large smelter located in Kellogg, Idaho
. When built, it was the largest smelting facility in the world.
The late 1880s saw a boom in mining activity in Idaho's Silver Valley as railroad lines were built through what was previously inaccessible wilderness. The Bunker Hill mine, the largest of the Coeur d'Alene area mines, was discovered in 1885 by Noah Kellogg. Initially, the ore was shipped out of the Silver Valley by train for processing; but within a few years, mills had been built on-site to extract the metals from the ore. The process used by the first mills, known as "jigging", was very inefficient, often recovering less than 75% of the metal from the ore. This meant that large amounts of lead and other metals remained in the tailings
, which were simply dumped in nearby waterways. A cadmium
processing facility was added to the smelter in 1945, which recovered high-grade cadmium from the smelter's waste products.
Bunker Hill, like other mines in the region, was the site of intense struggles between regional miners' unions and mine owners/managers. The owners of the Bunker Hill mine organized with other mine owners to form the Mine Owners Protective Association in order to fight the unions. The Bunker Hill owners repeatedly refused to meet or negotiate with union representatives, leading to regular community protests. On April 29, during a union demonstration, a group of workers hijacked a Union Pacific train in Burke, Idaho
and took it to Wardner. After a firefight with the Bunker Hill security guards, they dynamited the Bunker Hill and Sullivan ore concentrator, which was valued at $250,000.
Many of the mine tailings were dumped directly into the Couer d'Aléne River and its tributaries, which were polluted with high levels of sulfur dioxide
, lead
, and other metals. An estimated 100 million tons of arsenic
, cadmium
, and zinc
were released into the air, along with 30,000 tons of lead. During the 1970s, when the smelter was still operating, children living in nearby errors began displaying very high blood lead levels. Approximately 26% of the two-year olds in the region have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood.
In 1983, the Bunker hill smelter was added to the National Priorities List
by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
. As of 2007, the EPA had spent $200 million dollars attempting to remediate the site, much of which was spent removing contaminated topsoil from residential areas.
Kellogg, Idaho
Kellogg is a city in the Silver Valley of Shoshone County, Idaho, United States, in the Idaho Panhandle region. The city lies near the Coeur d'Alene National Forest and about east-southeast of Coeur d'Alene along Interstate 90...
. When built, it was the largest smelting facility in the world.
The late 1880s saw a boom in mining activity in Idaho's Silver Valley as railroad lines were built through what was previously inaccessible wilderness. The Bunker Hill mine, the largest of the Coeur d'Alene area mines, was discovered in 1885 by Noah Kellogg. Initially, the ore was shipped out of the Silver Valley by train for processing; but within a few years, mills had been built on-site to extract the metals from the ore. The process used by the first mills, known as "jigging", was very inefficient, often recovering less than 75% of the metal from the ore. This meant that large amounts of lead and other metals remained in the tailings
Tailings
Tailings, also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or slickens, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore...
, which were simply dumped in nearby waterways. A cadmium
Cadmium
Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...
processing facility was added to the smelter in 1945, which recovered high-grade cadmium from the smelter's waste products.
Bunker Hill, like other mines in the region, was the site of intense struggles between regional miners' unions and mine owners/managers. The owners of the Bunker Hill mine organized with other mine owners to form the Mine Owners Protective Association in order to fight the unions. The Bunker Hill owners repeatedly refused to meet or negotiate with union representatives, leading to regular community protests. On April 29, during a union demonstration, a group of workers hijacked a Union Pacific train in Burke, Idaho
Burke, Idaho
Burke is a ghost town in Burke-Canyon in Shoshone County, Idaho, United States. Once a thriving silver and lead town, it is now far smaller than at its height. In 2002, about 300 people lived in or nearby Burke Canyon...
and took it to Wardner. After a firefight with the Bunker Hill security guards, they dynamited the Bunker Hill and Sullivan ore concentrator, which was valued at $250,000.
Many of the mine tailings were dumped directly into the Couer d'Aléne River and its tributaries, which were polluted with high levels of sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
, lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, and other metals. An estimated 100 million tons of arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
, cadmium
Cadmium
Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...
, and zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
were released into the air, along with 30,000 tons of lead. During the 1970s, when the smelter was still operating, children living in nearby errors began displaying very high blood lead levels. Approximately 26% of the two-year olds in the region have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood.
In 1983, the Bunker hill smelter was added to the National Priorities List
National Priorities List
The National Priorities List is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on...
by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
. As of 2007, the EPA had spent $200 million dollars attempting to remediate the site, much of which was spent removing contaminated topsoil from residential areas.
See also
- Bunker Hill Mining CompanyBunker Hill Mining CompanyThe Bunker Hill Mining Company was a mining company with facilities in Wardner, Idaho and surrounding areas.-History:When the mining boom began in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho mining district, the area was lightly inhabited...
- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor strike of 1892Coeur d'Alene, Idaho labor strike of 1892There were two related incidents between miners and mine owners in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: the labor strike of 1892, and the labor confrontation of 1899....
- Hanford SiteHanford SiteThe Hanford Site is a mostly decommissioned nuclear production complex on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, operated by the United States federal government. The site has been known by many names, including Hanford Works, Hanford Engineer Works or HEW, Hanford Nuclear Reservation...
- Lake Coeur d'AleneLake Coeur d'AleneLake Coeur d'Alene is a natural lake in the Idaho Panhandle, located in the vicinity of the city of the same name. It spans long, ranges from 1 to wide and has over of shoreline for boaters and vacationers to explore and enjoy.-Geology and geography:...
- Spokane RiverSpokane RiverThe Spokane River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a low mountainous area east of the Columbia, passing through the city of Spokane, Washington.-Description:...
- Western Federation of MinersWestern Federation of MinersThe Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...
External links
- Guide to the Bunker Hill Mining Company Records: 1887-1984, Northwestern Digital Archives
- Mine Waste Management in Idaho: Bunker Hill Superfund Site, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality