Idaho Seeks Public Comment on Bunker Hill Mine Construction Permit Through Nov. 30 as Silver Valley Metals Plans Restart
KELLOGG, Shoshone County, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality announced on Oct. 28 that it has opened public comment on a proposed construction permit for the Bunker Hill Mine. The mine, in Kellogg, is held by applicant Silver Valley Metals, which plans to restart underground mining of high-grade silver, lead and zinc ore.
Under the proposal, ore concentrate would be sold to off-site smelters, and tailings would be placed in historic mined-out areas or in a surface dry-stack facility; the application also seeks higher material throughput and an expanded waste rock area. The department determined that the proposed construction and operation would not cause or significantly contribute to violations of ambient air quality standards, nor cause harm or unreasonable risk to human or animal life or vegetation. The comment period opened Oct. 27, and written comments are due by 5 p.m. Mountain Time on Nov. 30, 2026; the comments will inform the final permit decision.
The Bunker Hill Mine was developed in 1885, closed in 1981, and was listed as a Superfund site in 1983, followed by phased cleanup through 2016. New management took over the facility in 2020 and, based on study and analysis, decided to restart the mine.
Source: GSM News
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：邦克山冶炼厂的铅熔炼炉（公共领域，Wikimedia Commons）。Lead blast furnace at the Bunker Hill Smelter (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons).
