<PAGE> 1
[Hecla Logo]
Exhibit 99
2000-10
HECLA CONSIDERS ALTERNATIVES FOR
INDUSTRIAL MINERALS SUBSIDIARY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2000
COEUR D'ALENE, IDAHO - Hecla Mining Company (HL & HL-PrB:NYSE) today
announced it has decided to carry out a formal review of its strategic options
in regard to Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Company (K-T Clay). The company has
recently received a number of expressions of interest in Hecla's industrial
minerals subsidiary. Hecla has hired an investment banking firm to assist
management in considering possible avenues for growth and other strategies for
the 109-year-old mining company, including the potential sale of K-T Clay.
Hecla Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Arthur Brown said, "There has
been some general speculation in the marketplace and the investment community
that a sale of K-T Clay is pending. It is true that we have received some
expressions of serious interest from several companies interested in buying our
subsidiary. Consequently, we have decided to look closely at the worth of K-T
Clay and may consider its sale if the proceeds are high enough to bring value to
our shareholders." A sale of the K-T Clay subsidiary would allow Hecla to
eliminate its bank debt and use cash to take advantage of opportunities to
increase precious metals reserves and production. Brown said, "For some time,
our investors and the market in general have indicated they would like to see
Hecla become a pure play precious metals company and concentrate on growing that
side of our business. While it's possible a final decision may not be made for a
few months, we have some exciting precious metals opportunities that could be
pursued by monetizing the value of K-T Clay." Brown said those opportunities
include the potential development of the Saladillo silver/gold property in
Mexico, expansion of reserves and production at the La Camorra gold mine in
Venezuela and acquisition of other precious metals assets.
Hecla Mining Company, headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, expects to
mine approximately 8 million ounces of silver and 130,000 ounces of gold in
2000. Its precious metals properties are located in Alaska, Idaho, Nevada,
Mexico and Venezuela. Hecla is well known as a primary silver production company
in the United States.
Brown said, "During the past century, Hecla has been one of the United
States' premier silver producers. We have increased our silver production more
than fourfold over the past four years, in anticipation of a future increase in
the price of silver. We believe the fundamentals of supply and demand and
silver's current deficit situation have brought us closer than
<PAGE> 2
ever to the time when we should experience a sustained increase in the price of
silver. Demand for the metal continues to increase each year, and our position
as a producing silver company puts us in good position to benefit from that
price increase when it occurs."
Hecla acquired K-T Clay in 1984, with the merger of Ranchers Exploration
and Development Corporation into Hecla. The subsidiary company is headquartered
in Nashville, Tennessee, and has ball clay, kaolin and feldspar operations in
Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Mississippi and Mexico.
K-T Clay provides about half of the nation's ball clay, which is used primarily
in ceramic and porcelain products, such as sinks, toilets and tiles.
Statements made which are not historical facts, such as anticipated
payments, production, sales of assets, exploration results and plans, costs,
prices or sales performance are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve a number of
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those projected, anticipated, expected or implied. These risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to, metals price volatility,
volatility of metals production, industrial minerals market conditions and
project development risks. Refer to the company's Form 10-Q and 10-K reports for
a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results.
The company undertakes no obligation and has no intention of updating forward-
looking statements.
-HL-
Contact: Vicki J. Veltkamp, vice president - investor and public relations,
208/769-4144
Hecla's Home Page can be accessed on the Internet at:
http://www.hecla-mining.com
