Document ID: EPA-HQ-OA-2021-0683-0053
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2021-12-14T05:00Z

Silver Valley Community Resource Center
PO Box 362 
Kellogg, ID   83837 
Phone: 208-784-8891
svcommunityresourcecenter@gmail.com
website:silvervalleyaction.org
Nov. 3, 2021
Comments for White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Public Virtual Meeting
Nov. 17-18, 2021
Registration: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/white-house-environmental-justice-advisory-council
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2021-0683 at http://www.regulators.gov
Email comments: whejac@epa.gov, ATTN: Docket No. above

To the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council;
	EPA has failed to cleanup and protect human health at the Bunker Hill Superfund site, Kellogg, Id. The Bunker Hill Superfund site was first designated the 2[nd] largest National Priority Listed, (NPL) in the nation in 1983. In 2000, Reg. Ten decided without notice, to extend the Superfund site boundaries. The BHSS boundaries are the Idaho/Montana border into Washington State by way of downstream contamination of the Coeur d'Alene River, lakes, streams to the Spokane River before emptying into the Columbia River Basin that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Kellogg Idaho is the epicenter of the now 1500 sq. mile Superfund site. A century of lead and heavy metal contamination into the air, water, homes, schools and environment as EPA continues to violate mandated CERCLA, Comprehensive, Environmental, Response, Compensation, and Liability Act laws. NWTCC website; "Children Run Better Unleaded" U of Washington, Superfund Research Program
      For 35 years the Silver Valley Community Resource Center, (SVCRC) has conducted unlimited education, outreach, good faith, resources, grassroots, community documentation, overwhelming scientific data from the world's most respected lead health experts to work with the government agencies headed by Reg. Ten EPA. "We have only been demonized for our work" Children Run Better Unleaded member. The non-profit organization continues to this day to take the "high road" resulting in unwavering support for two issues for cleanup of the environment and lead health conditions. One of the most significant acts of good faith by SVCRC was the creation of the Idaho Lead Oversight Committee gathering statewide groups as HeadStart, WIC, Medicaid, International lead experts, Dr. John Rosen, Dr. Steven Gilbert, Dr. Bruce Lanphear, Dr. Herbert Needleman, Dr. Sue Moodie, local experts for the purpose of offsetting contempt of court charges and begin working together to test children in the nations largest lead Superfund site and the state of Idaho. US District Court for Idaho, Consent Decree and Judgment, Case no. CIV 00-578-S-MHW, 2003. The committee has been in existence for 16 yrs. Accompanying the request to remove the Reg. Ten EPA project manager for his attacks of community outreach was the dismissal of a Panhandle Health employee who conspired dispersal of misinformation to lead poisoned families, local medical facilities, personnel, local Chamber groups and more. The elimination of two dangerous conspirators and others removed after being identified for their role in covering up the facts of failure, it is time for leaders, agencies to include SVCRC, immediately begin work for reparation, solutions when implemented can be used to end childhood lead poisoning not only in the nation's largest lead Superfund site, but communities without a voice throughout the world. 
      The epicenter, original 21 sq. miles of site was once the Silver Capital of the World. The area is in isolated North Idaho a politically conservative state where the influence of the polluters has been a priority in toxic communities across the country, abided by EPA. Despite millions likely a billion dollars spent digging up yards in the site, it remains a disproportionately poor, vulnerable underserved community. Six generations are living with chronic lead health conditions with not one individual has ever received any diagnosis or treatment. Johns Hopkins University, "Community and family level factors influence care-giver choice to screen blood lead levels of children in a mining community". Other than the SVCRC's Children Run Better Unleaded families where the mandated laws for lead testing of children were conducted, there is no proactive diagnosis or treatment taking place. Studies of interior of homes confirms there is more lead in them than yards being dug up, resulting with EPA creating a Record of Decision, ROD to address this major pathway of lead exposure. Each time SVCRC the subject is approached with Reg. Ten, staff snicker and do nothing. 
      Further complications of the health of the people in the BHSS are now present with the added failure of COVID education, testing, vaccinations. The State of Idaho received $1.24 billion dollars COVID stimulus funding. Long term lead health conditions include heart, carcinogenic, respiratory, kidney failure all are health issues related to COVID. Forty-six precent of the population of the people in the Kellogg, Idaho, epicenter of the Bunker Hill Superfund site are 50 yrs. or older. The Governor of Idaho is well informed of this health neglect.  SVCRC spent two years to establish a meeting with him that was agreed to this past Spring. Overnight, Jake Garringer, Governor Littles North Idaho staff representative cancelled the meeting. Governor Little has been further made aware during an AARP phone Idaho town hall meeting related to COVID needs throughout Idaho. For two weeks individuals in the Silver Valley were able to receive walk in vaccinations at Wal-Mart. After that short period in which numerous individuals took advantage of the word went out that signup on the store website link for appointments became mandatory. Due to ongoing lack of phone, internet service many do not have computers or internet service in Shoshone County in addition to not have the ability, resources to drive. It became very difficult for anyone in the area to get any information let alone testing, vaccinations. "Idaho has lowest number of COVID vaccinated...in the nation" KSPS radio. "COVID cases caused by Delta variant continue to surge in North Idaho" Sept. 2021 Spokesman Review Not only is their deliberate lack of lead testing, diagnosis, treatment of lead COVID, mandatory lead testing and treatment prevails. 
      Smoke from major wild forest fires in the area caused further lung health complications as they do every summer. One fire began in the Northern towns of Murry and Pritchard in early July and burned until rains fell in September. There were several days officials posted warnings of evacuation to homeowners. These same days breathing and visibility were severely limited. Additional environmental climate devastations take place on a regular basis, in February this year a county wide windstorm disaster knocked out electricity power, heat, food for more than a week, many who are on oxygen had to be transported to Coeur d'Alene, 45 miles away, the local hospital was without electricity also. County Commissioners have no interest in any kind of disaster relief. SVCRC reached out to the Red Cross as well as other social service agencies without the assistance of the County the community went without assistance of any kind to repair the destruction that continues. There is no indication as the collusion and funds continue to supplement but not address lead health concerns in the Bunker Hill Superfund site.
      Reg. Ten EPA staff until recently contributed demonization of those who spoke out especially SVCRC, CRBU members even ATSDR staff who were targeted, contacted, threatened to "keep away from SVCRC, to not even mention the word lead" These are further actions reinforcing suppression, human and civil rights and the overall health and cleanup failure at the site. Like Flint, Michigan, where government officials covered up the lead exposure to that community. Only, the Bunker Hill coverup has lasted three decades longer. 
             To address the missing decades of lead testing crisis in the Bunker Hill Superfund site, in 2020, SVCRC filed an investigation request calling upon ATSDR/CDC to determine why and where the statistical data is in Idaho of testing for lead in children anywhere to be found. Currently SVCRC/CRBU members are awaiting to learn of the investigation results. Members and advocates throughout the 2 State superfund site have hopes that recommendations will made for EPA to cooperate with the orders for settlement funds to establish the Community Lead Health Center. The highest lead levels ever recorded in the US were from the first year, approximately mid 1970's, testing of children when Health and Human Services found their way into the community. At the end of the year, the testing was turned over to the Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare. No data has been filed since. No children have ever received any medical help assistance. 
Conclusion of a recent nationwide study of BLL in children and demographic's finds;
"To eliminate the effect of lead exposure on all children's health, the US must focus efforts to prevent children from being exposed to lead, beginning in areas where risk is highest. Children, families, and society achieve the most benefit from interventions that ensure that the US mitigates lead exposures in homes and other settings before a child is ever exposed. To our knowledge, this is one of the first comprehensive national analyses investigating the association of lead exposure with individual- and community-level factors. In adjusted models, the proportions of children with detectable [> 1 ug/dL] and elevated BLLs [>5 ug/dL] increased significantly among children with public insurance and for progressive quintiles of communities with pre-1950s housing and poverty rates. We did not see consistent associations between lead exposure and elevated BLLs in children residing in zip codes with predominantly Black or Hispanic and Latinx populations. There has been significant progress in reducing lead exposure throughout the country; this study demonstrates, however, that there is still substantial individual- and community-level disparities that have important implications for addressing childhood lead exposure." https://www.thefigtree.org/oct21/100121silvervalleycrbu.html/ 
       Two solutions remain steadfast, supported by thousands of affected citizens living in the Superfund site; 1) Shut down of the 20-acre toxic waste dump at the Old Mission of the Sacred Heart a National Historic Landmark, built on the Native American ancestral land of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, that sent 160 metric tons of lead and heavy metal contamination downstream in one day of flooding after the first year of dumping at the site. US/GS report Jan. 2010. The dozen or more toxic waste dumps in the upper basin are in violation of mandated CERCLA law, Clean Air, Clean Water Acts. In the case of the Old Mission 20-acre toxic waste dump, EPA has deliberately contributed to downstream contamination of the Coeur d'Alene River and tributaries. Dumping continues to this day. Idaho has no regulations overseeing dumping of any contamination. The repositories are being landscaped into precious wetlands. Photos are available observing the debris and other contamination being dumped in the repositories.   Wildlife, children, tourists, recreationists continue to be exposed. 2) Thousands of affected citizens living in the Bunker Hill Superfund site, support a Community Lead Health Center, (CLHC). The Judge presiding over the 2007 Hecla settlement lawsuit encouraged SVCRC to seek settlement funds now amounting to $500,000,000 from EPA for the CLHC. To date, Reg. Ten has failed to work with SVCRC. On May 12, 2021, the organization succeeded in holding a meeting with Sen. Mike Crapo, Idaho a long-time community involvement advocate for SVCRC's work and committed to acquire funding for the reparation of health the CLHC will provide.
      In conclusion, thank you to the White House Environmental Justice Committee for the opportunity for the first time in years to share a small portion of the problems taking place in the Bunker Hill Superfund site, North Idaho, Washington State. 
      SVCRC members look forward to working with the needs identified and sanctioned by the Mission of EPA to protect the environment and human health.
      Sincerely,
      Jeff Bergstrom, SVCRC President
      Barbara Miller. SVCRC Director
      Cass Davis, Carla Bassemier, Robert McCroskey,  SVCRC Board Members
      Betty Belisle, Children Run Better Unleaded member	
      
      CC: Intermountain Fair Housing Council, Idaho ACLU, Robert Huntley, Attorney at Law