EPA v. GULF RESOURCES & CHEMICAL CORP

Case summary

THIS IS A COST RECOVERY ACTION UNDER SECTION 107 0F CERCLA 42 USC, 9607, SARA, TO RECOVER $962,500. FROM GULF RESOURCES & CHEMICAL CORP FOR CERCLA 104 REMOVAL ACTION TO CLEANUP HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES FROM BUNKER HILL SUPERFUND SITE. ON 5/28/86, A CERCLA REMOVAL ACTION WAS INITIATED BY REGION 10 EPA AT THE BUNKER HILL SUPERFUND SITE IN THE SILVER VALLEY OF NORTHERN IDAHO. EPA EXCAVATED AND REPLACED THE TOP LAYER OF SOIL FROM DUSTY AREAS WHERE CHILDREN PLAY, INCLUDING PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS AND ROAD SHOULDERS, AS WELL AS AREAS SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTING TO BLOWING DUST. THE FIRST PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE IDAHO DEPT OF HEALTH AND WELFARE IN 1974 INDICATED THAT EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS OF CHILDREN LIVING NEAR THE BUNKER HILL COMPLEX HAD ELEVATED BLOOD-LEAD LEVELS DUE TO EXPOSURE TO HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATED DUST AND AIRBORNE PARTICULATES GENERATED DURING SMELTING OPERATIONS. HOWEVER, CHILDREN CONTINUED TO EXHIBIT TOXIC BLOOD-LEAD LEVELS EVEN AFTER THE CLOSURE OF THE SMELTER IN 1981 DUE TO CONTAMINATED EXPOSURE TO CON- TAMINATED SOILS. A 1983 STUDY BY THE CDC, IDHW AND PANHANDLE HEALTH DIST FOUND MANY AREA CHILDREN TO BE LEAD- TOXIC. (UNDER CDC DEFINITIONS A CHILD WITH BOTH ELEVATED BLOOD-LEAD AND ELEVATED LEVELS OF EURYTHROCYTE PROTOPOR- PHYRIN, AN ENZYME INDICATIVE OF RED BLOOD CELL PRODUCTION, IS LEAD TOXIC.) HIGHER BLOOD-LEAD LEVELS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASINGLY SEVERE ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS. THE PURPOSE OF THE REMOVAL ACTION WAS TO REDUCE THE IMMEDIATE HEALTH HAZARD PRESENTED TO LOCAL CHILDREN BY HIGH LEVELS OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATIONS IN SURFACE SOILS OF SILVER VALLEY. DUE TO UNUSUALLY LARGE SIZE OF THE PROJECT AREA, THE INITIAL REMOVAL ACTION WAS LIMITED TO SPECIFIC PUBLICLY OWNED SITES WHICH WERE DETERMINED TO POSE A SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE THREAT TO CHILDREN. THE REMOVAL ACTION LASTED FROM 5/28 TO 6/25/86, AT A TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST OF APPROXIMATELY $962,500. THE EFFORT RESULTED IN THE EXCAVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 8,750 CUBIC YARDS OF CONTAMINAT- ED SOILS FROM PUBLIC PARK, PLAYGROUNDS, AND ROAD AREAS. THE BUNKER HILL SUPERFUND PROJECT AREA IS APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES LONG AND 3 MILES WIDE, BOUNDED ON THE WEST BY THE TOWN OF KELLOGG IN SHOSHONE COUNTY, NORTHERN IDAHO. THE BUNKER HILL COMPLEX LIES OFF I-90, ABOUT 380 MILES NORTH OF BOISE AND ABOUT 60 MILES EAST OF SPOKANE, WA, IN THE SILVER VALLEY OF THE SOUTH FORK OF THE COEUR D'ALENE RIVER.

Defendants (1)

• GULF RESOURCES & CHEMICAL CORPNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• BUNKER HILL MINING CO INC

  834 MCKINLEY AVE, KELLOGG, ID, 83837

  Registry ID: 110005782643

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 107 — Superfund

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• GULF RESOURCES & CHEM CORPentered 1989-12-05

  Primary law: CERCLA

Timeline (8 milestones)

• 1987-09-30Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1987-09-30Referred To Headquarters
• 1987-11-04Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1989-10-13Complaint Filed With Court
• 1989-12-05Concluded
• 1989-12-05Final Order Lodged
• 1989-12-05Final Order Entered
• 1990-01-31Enforcement Action Closed