Environmental Policy | Implementation
  • Project planning, development and implementation will include consideration of alternatives and mitigation to reduce negative impacts to the environment. Costs for compliance with regulatory
    requirements, minimization and mitigation of environmental impacts, closure and reclamation will be included in project evaluations.
  • Hecla will continue to seek, evaluate and use, when appropriate, new technologies and
    methodologies that enhance our ability to conduct our operations in a manner that reduces
    environmental impacts.
  • To the extent economically and technically feasible, Hecla will minimize the generation of solid
    and hazardous wastes.
  • Hecla will continue its historic record of being community oriented. Socioeconomic factors will
    be included in the evaluation of all projects of significant capital cost.
  • Being a mining company over 116 years old, Hecla has the opportunity to enhance the environment at historically mined properties where problems exist; both public safety and environmental concerns will be addressed in managing these properties.
  • In addition to the corporate-wide procedures for implementation of Hecla's environmental policy, the following procedures will be applied at its operations as well:

    Compliance with environmental laws and regulations and minimization of environmental impacts is the responsibility of the operation. To implement the environmental policy of the Company, each operation will provide awareness training for employees, will maintain suitable staffing to address environmental requirements and will routinely evaluate the effectiveness of their environmental program.

    In order to minimize the risk to the environment, due to the necessity of using substances such
    as chemicals and petroleum products in our mining activities, an emergency response plan will
    be developed and implemented for each active operation.
  • All operations will utilize management practices which minimize environmental impacts
    of the operation.

    Each operating unit will develop a site-specific compliance manual, and will regularly review and update the compliance manual to assure compliance with regulatory requirements.

    Hecla’s corporate office will oversee an environmental review program of all operations
    and idle properties.

    In order to protect the investment of our shareholders, Hecla will conduct environmental reviews of properties before they become a part of Hecla’s assets.

    All incidents or releases which require a report to regulatory authorities will be reported by the
    operation or project in the timeframe required by regulation, and also will be reported to the
    Manager Environmental Services in a timely manner.

    All citations, notices of violation or other notifications of non-compliance with regulations will be reported immediately to Manager Environmental Services.

    All awards and recognition of environmental achievement will be reported to Manager
    Environmental Services.

    Hecla will conduct its business in a responsible manner.

    Hecla will minimize public safety hazards at its operating and idle properties.

    It is recognized that there are frequently instances when Hecla will go beyond the letter of the
    law of intent of the regulations in its environmental activities because “it is the right thing to do.”