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Idaho Conservation League claims victory in battle against Idaho CuMo Mining Corporation

Setback for mining company over plants
Posted at 5:44 PM, Jul 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-12 19:55:48-04

Environmentalists say a mining company's setback is a win for Idaho's waterways and those who depend upon it.

A federal judge says the US Forest Service wrongly said a plant growing in the area called Sacagawea bitterroot would not be adversely affected by a proposed exploration of the area, on the grimes Creek in the Boise river watershed within the Boise National Forest in Idaho.  The project encompasses approximately 2,885 acres of land in the Boise national Forest fourteen miles north of Idaho City, and five miles upstream from Pioneerville, Idaho. It is within the Boise-Mores sub-basin.

The mining company, Idaho CuMo Mining Corporation, says the need for a new study about the plant comes from the 2014 Grimes wildfire, and they are submitting a new study soon.

Environmentalists say the setback for the mining company is a win for the Boise River and all who depend upon it. "One thing we know about open-pit mining is that it poses an unacceptable risk to downstream communities," said John Robison of the Idaho Conservation League, "and even exploration projects like this one can pose a risk.  So we're really pleased that the judge put a hold on that project and stopped it for now."

Idaho CuMo Mining Corporation's CEO Shaun Dykes says "We want to move forward.  All the science we've done says the project is environmentally sustainable. Given the current state of the place, it will be better off, and everyone benefits."