Bunker Hill Mine

Shoshone County · dedicated 2025 · I-90 (Near Exit 49), milepost 49.71

In 1885, prospector Noah Kellogg’s wandering jackass found a spectacular galena outcropping two miles from here. Kellogg—and his jackass—had discovered what would evolve into the Bunker Hill Mine. Bunker Hill produced more than 30 million tons of lead, silver, and zinc, built the world’s largest smelter, and employed thousands. The smelter also released sulfur and lead dioxides into the air, while Bunker Hill and other mines discharged wastes into streams. In 1983, the Environmental Protection Agency began supervising the cleanup around Bunker Hill, with mining companies adapting to new environmental regulations.

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