Notwithstanding intense citizen pressure, the U.S. EPA decided yesterday to proceed with a massive cleanup of Silver Valley, Idaho, making the area one of the nation’s biggest Superfund sites. Many residents had argued that toxins leftover from more than a century of mining no longer posed health or environmental problems, and feared that the EPA presence would damage tourism and other job prospects in the economically depressed region. The EPA, however, estimates that 100 million tons of lead, arsenic, and other heavy metals continue to contaminate homes, kill wildlife, and cause lead poisoning in children in Silver Valley. The agency’s cleanup plan will cost $359 million over 20 to 30 years, while additional work as needed after that period could bring the total cost up to $1 billion.
