Central Idaho gold mine one permit closer to final approval
May 21—The company pursuing a controversial open pit gold and antimony mine in the remote heart of central Idaho secured a key permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Required by the Clean Water Act, it allows Perpetua Resources to discharge dredged materials and fill into streams as it builds its Stibnite project east of Cascade and near the tiny town of Yellow Pine.
"We arrived at our decision after an extensive, multi-year review of the proposed project, including thorough evaluation of the environmental impact studies, and its effects to waters of the United States," said Lt. Col. Kathryn Werback, commander of the corps' Walla Walla District in a news release. "(Corps) staff collaborated closely with federal and state officials and consulted with Tribal governments throughout the process."
It is the final federal permit Perpetua has to secure. However, important state permits remain.
"We are immensely proud to achieve this milestone. It's time to move forward and take the Stibnite Gold Project into a new and exciting phase of development," said Jon Cherry, President and CEO of Perpetua Resources in a news release.
The open-pit cyanide leach mine lies within the historic Stibnite Mining District in the South Fork of the Salmon River drainage and adjacent to the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area. The South Fork of the Salmon and its tributaries are home to chinook salmon, steelhead and bull trout — all listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
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