The Coeur d’Alene Basin Cleanup is also known as the Bunker Hill Mining & Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site. It is located in northern Idaho and eastern Washington, in one of the largest historical mining districts in the world. The Coeur d’Alene Basin Cleanup is one of the nation’s largest and most complex Superfund sites. In 2018, the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) released a Strategic Plan that describes the requirements, goals and objectives that are the framework for planning cleanup of the Lower Basin of the Coeur d’Alene River (Lower Basin).  One of the necessary elements for controlling sources of metals to Lake Coeur d’Alene (Idaho), and for protecting human health and the environment, is the construction of waste consolidation areas (WCAs) or regional repositories.  For cleanup to progress in the Lower Basin, specifically reducing mobilization of contaminated sediments from the Coeur d’Alene River, EPA’s goal is to have one or more Lower Basin WCAs ready to accept waste materials within the next 3 to 5 years.  A Lower Basin WCA Project Focus Team (PFT) was assembled to review the proposed WCA siting locations for disposal of waste materials from the Dudley Reach pilot project. Keystone provided facilitation support to several meetings of the PFT.

By 2040, Colorado is projected to experience an approximately 40 percent increase in population1 and with these people will come an increase in municipal and industrial water demand. In the semi-arid climate of Colorado with limited water supplies, this increased water demand will result in a statewide water supply gap. Thus far, strategies to address the gap have generally taken three forms: develop new supply and water storage projects, implement reuse projects, and encourage water conservation. The Colorado Water and Growth Dialogue explored whether the integration of water and land use planning might reduce water demand from residential housing development and re-development associated with the projected population increase. The dialogue facilitates the exploration of data and information for land planners, water planners, policy makers, development interests, and others interested in the potential impact of integrating land and water planning. Learn about the Results of the Dialogue.

Water quality in the Great Lakes region is a complex issue with many interrelated factors, including geography, land use, economic and population growth, and weather events. Given this complexity, the question of where best to put effort and funding to influence the situation is not straightforward.  To help focus its own investment, the Erb Family Foundation asked Keystone Policy Center to conduct a scoping assessment of phosphorus loading from agricultural lands and its contribution to harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.  Keystone worked with Erb to map stakeholders in and around the Western Lake Erie Basin, including representatives in government at the federal, state, and local levels, conservation-focused nonprofit organizations, academic research institutions, and agricultural groups.  These stakeholders were interviewed about the state of the issue, the status of existing conservation efforts, the actions and investments that might yield the most leverage over the issue, and the metrics that should be used as measures of improvement.