JUNEAU — The operator of the nation’s largest silver mine was fined $143,124 last month by the Environmental Protection Agency for several violations of federal hazardous waste laws.
Hecla Mining Company’s Greens Creek Mine is located roughly 30 miles southwest of Juneau on the northern end of Admiralty Island, primarily producing silver but also gold, lead and zinc since production began in 1989. The Idaho-based mining company signed a settlement agreement with the EPA in late May, which was announced publicly Wednesday.
EPA inspectors visited the mine in August of 2019 and reported finding lead concentrate in soil outside of a storage facility that exceeded acceptable toxicity levels. An investigation found that lead had seeped out of gaps between the building’s foundations and walls for an indeterminate amount of time, according to the settlement agreement signed by the mine’s general manager.
Hecla Mining Company was cited for disposing of hazardous waste containing lead without a permit and failing to conduct a weekly inspection of a hazardous waste storage area. Instruments and filters used in the mine’s laboratory had also not been listed as hazardous waste. They are now disposed of off-site.
Mike Satre, Hecla Mining Company’s government affairs director, said in an interview that no hazardous waste had entered the environment outside of the storage facility’s footprint, and there was no harm reported to personnel. He added that the mine’s operators have updated their procedures and worked to address the EPA’s concerns by renovating the storage facility.
“We take regulatory compliance seriously and rectified these things as soon as possible,” Satre said.
In an emailed statement, Satre termed some of the violations as “paperwork errors” and said that others had come from recent EPA policy changes. One of the violations flagged by the agency was for a plastic tote found to be labeled as “waste oil” instead of “used oil.”
Ed Kowalski, assurance director at the EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance, said in a prepared statement Wednesday that the “EPA continues to hold mining companies accountable for hazardous waste disposal practices,” adding, “the company operates in a relatively remote and pristine area in Alaska, underscoring their obligation to prevent pollution from entering public lands surrounding the mine.”
Since August of 2019, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has overseen cleanup efforts of the area surrounding the storage building and removed over 62 tons of contaminated soil. State officials have visited the mine multiple times and reported that foam used to seal the storage building was intact and “appeared to be in good shape.”
Earlier in the month, state officials said that they were “satisfied with the long term monitoring” of the site, but that more sampling could be needed in the future. The EPA said in the settlement agreement that the state’s cleanup process has met federal standards.
State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Jason Brune called the fine “disappointing” and compared it to another $600,000 fine for hazardous waste violations imposed on operators of Pogo Mine in April. He said that there should be an emphasis on working collaboratively with the mining industry, instead of “slapping people on the wrist” with fines.
In an interview, Brune quoted a state inspector who said that Hecla Mining Company had been “a very active and engaged partner” in proactively addressing sources of pollution onsite.
Alaska is one of two states that does not currently have its own approved hazardous waste program. The Legislature appropriated funding last year for the state to take over management of disposing hazardous waste from the EPA. Brune said the hope was for that to be approved by July 1, 2024.