VALLEY COUNTY, Idaho — A coalition of conservation groups filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the U.S. Forest Service for its approval of the Stibnite Gold Project, an open-pit gold mine in Idaho’s Salmon River Mountains. The groups argue the project threatens public health, clean water, endangered species, and thousands of acres of public land.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service approved the Stibnite Gold Project in early January.
RELATED: U.S. Forest Service approves Stibnite Gold Mine in Valley County
Perpetua Resources plans to expand a mining site 45 miles from McCall, near the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness Area and within the Nez Perce Tribe's homelands. The lawsuit says that the project will disturb 3,265 acres and create 280 million tons of waste rock, potentially damaging the South Fork Salmon River and its ecosystem.
“The impacts to the South Fork Salmon River watershed, threatened fish and wildlife, public access, clean air, clean water, and world-class recreation... are simply unacceptable,” said John Robison, public lands and wildlife director for the Idaho Conservation League. “Given the recent layoffs at the Payette National Forest, we are concerned about the Forest Service’s ability to manage this high-risk project."
The lawsuit also involves the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service for allegedly violating the Endangered Species Act. The South Fork Salmon River watershed is vital for ESA-protected Chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout.
“This lawsuit is about protecting the South Fork Salmon River watershed from a toxic gold mine that would destroy vital habitat for salmon and bull trout along with this breathtakingly beautiful place,” said Marc Fink, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.
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Perpetua Resources has disagreed with claims that the project will worsen the ecosystem, stating on its website that the "Stibnite Gold Project is as much about restoring the site as it is mining."
Idaho News 6 will continue to update this story as the lawsuit moves forward.
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