SPOKANE, Wash. (Legal Newsline) — Crown Resources and Kinross Gold U.S.A., are facing a lawsuit alleging violation of their National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit by discharging pollutants at its Washington State mine.
Okanogan Highlands Alliance filed a complaint April 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington against Crown Resources Corporation and Kinross Gold U.S.A., Inc., alleging violation of the Clean Water Act and other claims.
The Alliance claims Crown is discharging pollutants at its 46-acre underground Buckhorn Mountain Mine in Chesaw including aluminum, oil, grease, ammonia, arsenic, copper, iron, lead and other pollutants. Okanogan also alleges Crown is discharging pollutants into the surface waters of several creeks which are tributaries. They claim the pollution is from the mining, blasting, rock crushing and piling ore that currently and formerly took place at the facility.
Okanogan seeks injunctive relief, civil penalties and all other appropriate relief. They are represented by Paul Kampmeier and Brian Knutsen of Kampmeier & Knutsen PLLC in Seattle and Portland.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington case number 20-147