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                                                       Exhibit 99
                                                          2001-01
[Hecla Logo]

NEWS RELEASE

           HECLA SUES ZEMEX FOR FAILURE TO CLOSE DEAL

                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                        January 22, 2001

     COEUR D'ALENE, IDAHO - Hecla Mining Company (HL & PrB:NYSE)
brought suit this morning in federal court in Chicago against
Zemex Corporation of Toronto, Canada, for refusing to close on
the purchase of Hecla's industrial minerals subsidiary, Kentucky-
Tennessee Clay Company. Zemex's U.S. subsidiary had signed an
agreement in November to buy K-T Clay for $68 million. The
lawsuit seeks to require Zemex to complete the transaction and
fulfill the contract as it agreed, and to hold Zemex fully
responsible for all damages suffered as a consequence of its
failure to honor its commitments in the purchase agreement.

     The purchase agreement provided for a closing of the sale
late last week and Hecla notified Zemex it was prepared to close.
Hecla said Zemex wrongfully claimed K-T Clay had suffered a
material adverse effect in an attempt to substantially reduce the
purchase price. In addition, Hecla said Zemex clearly
misrepresented its ability to obtain sufficient financing for the
transaction.   Arthur Brown, Hecla's Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, said, "This does not change our plan to sell K-T Clay,
repay bank debt and focus on our core business of precious
metals. K-T Clay Company is a very good business. If Zemex does
not fulfill its obligation to us, we will be seeking other
interested parties with whom we will negotiate. I am extremely
unhappy with Zemex's attempt to renegotiate the deal at the last
minute, knowing we had excluded other bidders. Hecla fully
intends to hold Zemex responsible for any and all adverse
consequences we may suffer."

     Hecla had earlier stated its intent to use proceeds from the
sale to pay down current bank debt of $55 million coming due in
April. Brown said, "We intend to have discussions with the banks
about possible alternatives to restructuring this debt in order
to keep our options open."

     Meanwhile, Brown says Hecla continues to look at potential
business combinations and joint ventures that will grow the
company, bring in future cash flow and increase shareholder
value. He said, "Recent years have brought some tough times for
the precious metals industry. In my view, those who have seen the
turbulence in the stock market over the past weeks may be looking
to invest in the intrinsic value of precious metals. We would
hope to see some positive impacts on precious metals prices when
that comes about."



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     Hecla Mining Company, headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho,
is one of the United States' best-known silver producers. The
company also produces gold and is a major supplier of ball clay,
kaolin and other industrial minerals. Hecla's operations are
located in the U.S., Mexico and Venezuela.

     Forward Looking 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.

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