20-05-2025
Feds grant Idaho mine key water permit amid litigation
The Trump administration on Monday approved a key water permit for an open-pit mine in Idaho that's facing a legal challenge from conservation groups worried about the fate of protected species like chinook salmon.
The Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for Perpetua Resources' Stibnite gold project, which will allow the company to discharge dredged or fill material into federally protected waters as they build the open-pit project in the headwaters of the South Fork Salmon River. The project has secured billions of dollars in federal funding despite raising concerns among members of the nearby Nez Perce Tribe and conservation groups.
'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,' Lt. Col. Kathryn Werback, the Army Corps of Engineers' Walla Walla District commander, said in a statement. 'USACE staff collaborated closely with federal and state officials and consulted with Tribal governments throughout the process.'
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The Army Corps grants permits under that section of the Clean Water Act to regulate discharges from construction activities into wetlands and streams. The agency said the permit includes 'special conditions ensuring no work will proceed until the U.S. Forest Service — the project's lead agency — finalizes the applicant's plan of operations.'
