By Josh Schreiter, Andrus Scholar, Boise State University
Valley County and Idaho environmental officials are in the process of granting permits for Midas Gold’s Stibnite project near McCall and the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.
Valley County hub
On July 16, Canadian company Midas Gold received preliminary approval by county officials to construct a 25-acre “logistics facility” on Warm Lake Road for its Stibnite Gold project. The Valley County Planning and Zoning Committee approved a permit to allow the building of the facility that will serve as a hub to bus workers to the project, house administrative staff, and operate as a storage site for waste rock and equipment.
ICL opposes county approval
In a letter to Valley County officials, ICL cites multiple issues, including incomplete information, inconsistencies with the board’s comprehensive plan, overwhelming public opposition during the comment period, and preemptive approval given the many alternatives outlined in the project’s draft environmental impact statement released by the U.S. Forest Service in August.
Take action against Midas Gold and the Stibnite gold project!
Your voice matters! Now is the time for the public to weigh in and say NO to Stibnite.
The facility, located about 8 miles from Cascade, would eliminate 25 acres of open space and increase traffic, dust, noise and light pollution. The permit also failed to mention how the facility would be used after the end of mining operations, which could lead to further development in the area surrounding the facility.
After an appeal by Save The South Fork Salmon, the Valley County Board of Commissioners will hold another hearing on the logistics facility on October 5.
Idaho DEQ draft permit
On September 10, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) also released a draft permit for Stibnite project construction. This permit involves estimates of the amount of material project workers would move per day across all mining operations, as well as the emissions and dust released into the air. DEQ will accept public comments on the draft permit until October 12.
ICL informational sessions
ICL will be hosting three informational sessions on the Stibnite Gold Project in the coming weeks leading up to the end of the DEQ comment period. Those times and dates can be found on our website under events.