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JULY 10, 2000

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe of Idaho has come to a settlement over its lawsuit against the Hecla, Asarco Incorporated mining company. The lawsuit dates back to 1981, when the tribe filed suit over waste cleanup left by mines dating back to the middle of the century.

Waste from the mines has contamianted the Coeur d'Alene River, preventing traditional tribal members from gathering water potatoes. In 1999, 16 percent of children between ages 1 and 6 showed elevated levels of lead in blood, 5 times higher than the state average.

A US Environmental Protection Agency study of the site is underway and a report is due next year.

In an offer brokered by Governor Dirk Kempthorne, the tribe would receive $154 million over 30 years and another $96 million in royalties tied to metals prices. The settlement requires tribal and federal approval.

Governor Kempthorne has called on the Department of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman to accept the deal and conclude negotiations within the next 60 days.

Get the Story:
Cleanup offer gets a mixed reaction (The Spokesman Review 7/10)
Kempthorne brokers Coeur d'Alene basic cleanup agreement (State of Idaho Govenor's Office 7/5)

Relevant Links:
EPA Region 4, Idaho - yosemite.epa.gov