The Silver Valley Community Resource Center led the opposition to the East Mission Flats Repository, and following the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to finally allow dumping of contaminated soil across from the Cataldo Mission, the group spoke out. Yesterday, they sent us a communication, writing “the known fact that arsenic has already been found in water near the repository, as reported by the Spokesman Review's Becky Kramer on September 29 does not seem to be of concern to the agencies.”

It’s hard stuff, but a must-read to see where this group is coming from and what they will do next because they have never been known to rest:

The Silver Valley Community Resource Center, the grassroots, non-profit organization that has been the voice of thousands of affected citizens living in the 1500 square mile Bunker Hill Superfund site learned on September 28 that EPA's Mathy Stanislaus had given his OK to begin dumping millions of tons of toxic waste at the Old Mission Repository.

Stanislaus' decision seems to have sidestepped the Office of Inspector General's critical analysis of the site, while Region X EPA and Idaho DEQ continue to ignore ongoing requests for scientific data confirming safety of the EMF site. Affected citizens have come forward to express opposition to the site and violations of CERCLA law specific to community involvement. Almost anywhere else in the United States where more than 2000 individuals speak out to oppose such a location would have been enough to call a halt to this decision.

"Isolation, poverty and oppression helped make the area the largest Superfund site. Unfortunately, even though citizens have provided data and are supposedly protected by the law, the same factors associated with vulnerable populations are continuing ongoing exclusion of their participation," said Bob Colonna, a consultant for the Kellogg organization.

Only recently, through the persistence of the organization's members, have citizens living in the epicenter of the Bunker Hill site won the ability to speak out. These efforts have helped expose severe civil rights violations along with repercussions imposed by special interests and agencies including EPA.

The cycle, which began in 1983 with EPA, the State of Idaho and known polluters negotiating for a sub-standard cleanup, was brought full circle with Stanislaus' decision. (Ref: Analysis of the Three Main Containment Areas at the Bunker Hill Superfund site, Dr. Joel Hirschhorn, Ph.D, TAG Technical Advisor, Oct. 20, 1998).

In spite of ongoing discussions with SVCRC members and knowledge of at least 80 potential repository sites in the upper basin identified by EPA Region X and IDEQ the Mission location was selected "because it was convenient", said Andy Mork of IDEQ and Angela Chung of EPA Region X.

Desecration of sacred Native American ancestral grounds and destruction of wildlife throughout the area is of major concern to many who are opposing the location. The known fact that arsenic has already been found in water near the repository, as reported by the Spokesman Review's Becky Kramer on September 29 does not seem to be of concern to the agencies.

Escalation of downstream pollution and increased human health risk is inevitable as toxic waste is dumped at the Old Mission Repository. This is just another example of continuing exploitation of people and the environment in this area by EPA; Idaho's Department of Environmental Quality; Idaho Department of Health and Welfare; Panhandle Health District; elected, public and private officials.

SVCRC has paved the way for affected citizens to speak out. Each and every person living in the site, or anyone who visits, plans to travel and recreate in North Idaho or Eastern Washington is going to be at risk with the dumping at the Mission Repository.

SVCRC members will now act to initiate an intensive educational campaign to enlighten local, regional and national communities to the increased potential for lead and heavy metal exposure in the nation's largest Superfund site.

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