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Note 4 - Environmental and Reclamation Activities | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2022
Environmental and Reclamation Activities [Abstract] |
Environmental and Reclamation Activities | Note 4: Environmental and Reclamation Activities The liabilities accrued for our reclamation and closure costs at December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (in thousands):
|  | 2022 |  |  | 2021 |
Operating properties: |  |  |  |  |  |
Greens Creek |  | $ | 37,212 |  |  | $ | 37,474 |
Lucky Friday |  |  | 13,343 |  |  |  | 13,543 |
Keno Hill |  |  | 4,514 |  |  |  | — |
Casa Berardi |  |  | 11,352 |  |  |  | 12,497 |
Nevada Operations |  |  | 28,171 |  |  |  | 27,068 |
Non-operating properties: |  |  |  |  |  |
San Sebastian |  |  | 1,989 |  |  |  | 4,451 |
Troy mine |  |  | 6,980 |  |  |  | 4,813 |
Johnny M |  |  | 8,961 |  |  |  | 8,947 |
All other sites |  |  | 4,477 |  |  |  | 4,438 |
Total |  |  | 116,999 |  |  |  | 113,231 |
Reclamation and closure costs, current |  |  | (8,591 | ) |  |  | (9,259 | )
Reclamation and closure costs, long-term |  | $ | 108,408 |  |  | $ | 103,972 |
The activity in our accrued reclamation and closure cost liability for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 was as follows (in thousands):
Balance at January 1, 2020 |  | $ | 108,374 |
Accretion expense |  |  | 5,912 |
Revision of estimated cash flows due to changes in reclamation plans |  |  | 2,543 |
Payment of reclamation obligations |  |  | (781 | )
Balance at December 31, 2020 |  |  | 116,048 |
Accruals for estimated costs |  |  | 4,952 |
Accretion expense |  |  | 6,454 |
Revision of estimated cash flows due to changes in reclamation plans |  |  | (8,781 | )
Payment of reclamation obligations |  |  | (5,442 | )
Balance at December 31, 2021 |  |  | 113,231 |
Accruals for estimated costs |  |  | 2,874 |
Accretion expense |  |  | 5,995 |
Revision of estimated cash flows due to changes in reclamation plans |  |  | 452 |
Payment of reclamation obligations |  |  | (5,553 | )
Balance at December 31, 2022 |  | $ | 116,999 |
Asset Retirement Obligations Below is a reconciliation as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands) of the asset retirement obligations (“ARO”) which are included in our total accrued reclamation and closure costs of $117.0 million and $113.2 million, respectively, discussed above. The estimated reclamation and closure costs were discounted using credit adjusted, risk-free interest rates ranging from 5.75% to 14.5% from the time we incurred the obligation to the time we expect to pay the retirement obligation.
|  | 2022 |  |  | 2021 |
Balance January 1 |  | $ | 95,033 |  |  | $ | 100,208 |
Changes in obligations due to changes in reclamation plans |  |  | 452 |  |  |  | (8,781 | )
Accretion expense |  |  | 5,995 |  |  |  | 6,451 |
Payment of reclamation obligations |  |  | (4,860 | ) |  |  | (2,845 | )
Balance at December 31 |  | $ | 96,620 |  |  | $ | 95,033 |
During 2022 following the acquisition of Alexco, we assumed an ARO of $4.4 million for Keno Hill. Payments for reclamation obligations were incurred at Lucky Friday and our former Mexico operation San Sebastian. The AROs related to the changes described above were discounted using a credit adjusted, risk-free interest rate of between 2.75% and 7.5% and inflation rates ranging from 2% to 4%.

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