Remediation progress

In 2014, we began a remediation project to address environmental and structural issues, including decaying infrastructure and mine waste seeping into groundwater, impacting the adjacent creek and surrounding environment. 

We divided the cleanup project into 2 phases to minimise construction impacts to the adjacent Holden Village community. We completed phase 1, the largest part of the remediation work, in 2018, with the agencies confirming compliance with the approved design. 

Holden phase 1

Our remediation work included:

• Consolidating and stabilising approximately 8.5 million tons of tailings and 250,000 tons of waste rock piles to provide control erosion and minimise contact with the environment.
• Adding clean soil cover and planting native trees and shrubs to construction areas across the site.
• Building a 4,756-foot-long groundwater containment barrier wall and water collection system to capture contaminated water coming out of the old mine workings and off the tailings piles. Collected water was then transported to a water treatment plant for processing before being discharged into Railroad Creek. 
• Redirecting and reconstructing 2,000 linear feet of Railroad Creek away from the tailings piles to limit recontamination and increase ecological habitat. 
• Sealing off mine entrances and posting safety signage.
• Controlling water flow from mine openings by installing concrete bulkheads (specially designed walls) that collect water from underground mine workings and transport it through a piping system to the water treatment plant.  
• Demolishing and securing the old mill building site. 
• Building a larger, safer parking area at the Lake Chelan Boat Company, constructing a new boat ramp at Lucerne and improving an access road to Holden Village for public use.
• Working with Holden Village to replace and upgrade buildings disturbed by the remediation activities, as well as providing in-kind support to offset impacts to operations during construction. 
• Purchasing 2,100 acres of land in the nearby Bear Mountain Ranch and transferring it to the Chelan Douglas Land Trust to permanently conserve the habitat benefits of the land and offset the unavoidable effects of remedial construction on wetlands. 

Environmental monitoring shows that our phase 1 activities have significantly improved environmental conditions: Railroad Creek’s water quality has improved, enhancing aquatic life, and we’ve controlled soil contamination risks, with thriving revegetation that’s bringing wildlife back to the site. 

We continue to treat and monitor water on-site year-round, with an operations and maintenance who manage water treatment operations. 

On December 11, 2025, the USFS Road 8301, the only access road to the Holden Mine Site, sustained significant damage following an atmospheric river event and associated landslides that washed out the road. Our workforce, and others in the area, were evacuated. On January 30, 2026, the road was officially closed by the USFS. We’re committed to returning to work as soon as safely possible and are coordinating with the USFS to determine a way to repair of the road so we can continue operating.

Creating lasting value for communities 

The Railroad Creek Valley and surrounding areas within Chelan and Douglas Counties are home to vibrant communities and expansive wilderness.  

The Tribal Peoples comprising the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation (Yakama Nation) have lived in this area since the beginning of time, from the lowlands around the Columbia River to the snow-peaked Cascade Mountains. The Yakama Nation reserved Traditional hunting and gathering rights on all National Forest System lands at the site under its 1855 treaty with the United States. The Yakama Nation has been closely involved with remediation activities and performance monitoring at the site and provides input to the US Forest Service. 

Holden Village, a popular spiritual retreat centre housed at the mine’s historic village, is a key part of the community.  Holden Village was established in the early 1960s after the former operator of the mine donated houses and other structures to the Lutheran Bible Institute in Seattle. Although Holden Village is rooted in the Lutheran religious tradition, its programs (including its popular summer camp programs) are open to people of all faith traditions.

Throughout phase 1, we worked closely with the Holden Village community to plan the work and, where we could, minimise disruption to their staff and guests. We also upgraded or replaced buildings and infrastructure used during construction, including the footbridge over Railroad Creek and a nearby trail system.  

Today, our operations team lives in company-owned housing near the water treatment plant about one mile away from Holden Village. We continue to work together with the Holden Village community, sharing resources when needed and coordinating emergency response for the Railroad Creek Valley.

The site cleanup has also delivered economic benefits to the regional community. During phase 1, the remediation work contributed nearly $240 million to the local economies of Chelan and Douglas counties. 

Wetland mitigation 

In 2021, we purchased 2,100 acres of land on the nearby Bear Mountain Ranch, which we donated to the Chelan Douglas Land Trust for permanent conservation. We purchased the land to make up for unavoidable ecological impacts to wetlands caused by construction work needed as part of the phase 1 remediation. 

The property, named Chelan Coulee Reserve, is owned by the Land Trust and managed with an emphasis on fire safety, wetland preservation, adaptation to climate change, and habitat for wildlife. It adjoins mostly US Forest Service property, presenting a unique opportunity for conservation of connected lands that will never be developed or split into multiple small ownerships.