Advocates for the West and a coalition of local and national conservation organizations on Friday filed an appeal to halt Perpetua Resources’ construction of the Stibnite Gold Project in the headwaters of Idaho’s South Fork of the Salmon River. Perpetua has insisted on moving forward with “full construction” despite the conservation groups’ pending lawsuit that seeks […]
We’re joined by Shannon Wheeler, Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee; Sydney Anderson, Mining and Policy Manager at Idaho Rivers United; Josh Johnson, Central Idaho Director at the Idaho Conservation League; and Bryan Hurlbutt, Staff Attorney at Advocates for the West. The panel unpacks the far-reaching risks the massive Stibnite Gold Mine proposal […]
Conservation groups filed a petition for review with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) challenging a permit the agency issued early this year to Perpetua Resources for the Stibnite Gold Project, a proposed mine 12 miles east of Yellow Pine, Idaho, on lands in the Boise and Payette National Forests and private holdings. DEQ […]
By Meredith Diamond Last month, Perpetua Resources held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Stibnite Mining District within Idaho’s South Fork Salmon River watershed, with Idaho Governor Brad Little, U.S. Army Major General John Reim, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary Kristin Sleeper in attendance. That same day, the U.S. Forest Service issued a conditional […]
In response to conservation groups’ appeal of a water quality permit issued for the proposed Stibnite Gold Mine due to its inadequacy to protect water quality in the South Fork Salmon River watershed, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking to revisit the permit to address multiple shortcomings. The Idaho Conservation League and […]
Advocates for the West and a coalition of local and national conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service today for its approval of the Stibnite Gold Project, an open-pit cyanide leach gold mine in Idaho’s Salmon River Mountains that would jeopardize public health and clean water, harm threatened species, and permanently scar thousands of acres […]
In recent weeks, Advocates for the West and our partners compiled and submitted formal objections against two separate—and significantly flawed—environmental reviews and draft approvals of mining activity in Idaho. Stibnite Gold Mine On October 18, a coalition of Advocates for the West’s conservation partners submitted objections to the final Environmental Impact Statement and draft Record […]
On Friday, September 6, the U.S. Forest Service released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Draft Record of Decision (DROD) for the Stibnite Gold Project. The planned open-pit cyanide vat leach gold mine in Idaho’s Salmon River Mountains would jeopardize public health and clean water, harm threatened species, violate Indigenous treaty rights, and permanently […]
The Idaho Board of Environmental Quality issued a decision invalidating Perpetua Resources’ air pollution permit for the proposed Stibnite Gold Mine in Valley County. Blasting and hauling operations at the proposed mine would emit massive amounts of arsenic-laden dust. The Board found that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) failed to follow Idaho air pollution […]
Advocates for the West is pleased to provide learning experiences for future environmental leaders through ongoing internship, externship, and clerkship opportunities. We spoke with Meridian Wappett, former Advocates for the West extern and current University of Montana law student, about her passion for, and connection to, the West. Advocates for the West: Will you please […]