Hecla Mining Company penalized $143,000 for hazardous waste management violations at Greens Creek Silver Mine in Southeast Alaska
SEATTLE (June 14, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Hecla Mining Company's Greens Creek Mine, located on Admiralty Island near Juneau, Alaska, was fined $143,124 for violating hazardous waste management and disposal requirements under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
“EPA continues to hold mining companies accountable for hazardous waste disposal practices,” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “The company operates in a relatively remote and pristine area in Alaska, underscoring their obligation to prevent pollution from entering public lands surrounding the mine.”
Following an August 2019 inspection, EPA cited the mining company for the following violations:
- disposal of hazardous waste containing lead without a permit
- failure to conduct a weekly inspection of a hazardous waste storage area
- failure to determine if waste from mining operations was hazardous
- failure to properly label a used oil container
The settlement agreement acknowledges that the company will continue to clean up lead contaminated soil.
RCRA was enacted to protect public health and the environment and help prevent long and expensive cleanups by requiring the safe and environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous waste.
Additional details can be found in the Consent Agreement and Final Order.