Programs

Hazardous Waste Management Program

Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) is the process of collecting, compiling, and analyzing information, or data to determine the extent of injuries to natural resources from hazardous substance releases and to determine appropriate ways of restoring and compensating for those injuries (see "The Legacy of Mining Wastes..." for more). Section 300.610 of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) calls for the Tribal Chairman (or other head of the governing body) of Indian Tribes to act as Tribal Trustees for the natural resources. This includes the supporting ecosystems, belonging to, managed by, controlled by, or pertaining to the Indian Tribe, or held in trust for the benefit of the Indian Tribe, or belonging to a member of the Indian Tribe, if the natural resources are subject to a trust restriction on alienation.

To date, the NRDA continues to be litigated. The NRDA Trustees (the Tribe, US Department of Interior and US Department of Agriculture) have already settled with most of the potentially responsible parties and have used these settlements to fund remediation of the Union Pacific Rail line (now the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes), restoration at the Cataldo Mission, and restoration planning at a mine site in upper Moon Creek. The NRDA trustees have developed and are begining to implement an interim restoration plan. The interim plan can be viewed at: USFWS link. The second trial phase (Damage Assessment) is pending.

The Tribe's NRDA staff are also participating in the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission (BEIPC). This project is implementing the 30-year $350-million Basin wide Superfund Cleanup. The Tribe is one of the seven board members.

The NRDA staff are also working on other water quality protection projects which include:

• Lake Management Planning. This is an effort which works to reduce nutrients in Coeur d'Alene Lake to safeguard water quality. Project elements include evaluation of the nutrient problem, identification of nutrient reduction projects, working with the Tribe's other Natural Resources and Lake Management programs in Lake Management Plan development, and collaboration with State of Idaho in the development of a joint Lake Management Plan
• Cleanup Creosote problem on St. Joe River. This involves collaboration with the US EPA, City of St. Maries and Carney Products to finalize a cleanup plan, implemention of the cleanup plan, and continuing to monitor St. Joe River to assure water quality protection

For more information about NRDA process, visit the Department of Interior site. You may also want to visit the Basin Commission website for information about the Silver Valley.

May 17, 2007 - Coeur d'Alene Basin Final Interim Restoration Plan

Nov 11, 2009 - NRDA Report Final