Caribou Clean Water Partnership

BlackFoot Bridge Mine Proposed

The proposed new mine by Monsanto will come almost right to the edge of the Blackfoot River. The company claims unprecedented measures will ensure that selenium and other mining pollutions will not enter the surrounding waterways. Not one single phosphate mine in the region has yet achieved this result. As dozens of older mines seep continual pollution into the water, is taking such a high risk worth it?

Read the Story in Land Letter
Click here to learn more about the Blackfoot Bridge Mine
Link to Blackfoot Bridge DEIS
Link to Official GYC Comments (.pdf)

Selenium Kills Again - 18 Cows Dead Near Phosphate Mines

It has killed horses. It has killed sheep. It has killed fish, including trout. And now, for the first time (at least publicly documented), the deadly fallout from phosphate mining in southeast Idaho has killed cattle near the J.R. Simplot mines.

Dead Cow

Read the GYC News Release
Read the AP News Clip
Read the Story in the Idaho Statesman

Whose Calling the Kettle Black? Agrium Sues Government Over Clean Up

In a typcal mining move to pass the buck of clean up, defer responsibility, and ask for bailouts from the government, Agrium, operating phosphate mines in southeast Idaho under the name NuWest has filed a lawsuit claiming the government bears the responsibility to fund and facilitate clean up of selenium poison.

Read the AP Story in the Idaho Statesman
Read the Agrium Release

SIMPLOT ON LIST OF TOP TEN CORPORATE POLLUTERS

Many large corparations are touting their "green" practices and their policies to reduce their impact on the environment. However, many of these corporations are not holding true to their public relations promises. the J.R.Simplot Co. was recently listed at the top of a list of such companies compiled by the business pulbication "Conde Nast Portfiolio." Simplot is included in the "Toxic Ten" due to the impacts of selenium at mining operations and phosphorus pollution into the Portneuf River at their pocatello processing plant.

Read the Conde Nast Portfolio Report on the "Toxic Ten"

NOW on PBS FEATURES SELENIUM CONTAMINATION IN IDAHO

On February 22nd the national program "Now on PBS" did a feature story on phosphate mining and selenium pollution in eastern Idaho. The story discussed the Idaho Roadless Rule and how it would increase phosphate mining and selenium pollution. This story shows the real and immediate threat of selenium pollution to the environment and the economy of Caribou Country. To view the story click on the link below.

Click here to view NOW story

REPORT DOCUMENTS HISTORY OF SELENIUM IN IDAHO/WYOMING AND COVER UP OF POLLUTION BY AGENCIES AND COMPANIES

Edgar Imhoff, Retired federal hydrologist and environmental clean up expert, has released a new report documenting a decades long cover up by federal agencies and mining companies about knowledge of selenium contamination from phosphate mining and when it was known. Such collusion between government agencies and the mining companies has streamlined the continued permitting of new mines and mine expansions, which in turn, has led to increased selenium contamination of waters and lands in Idaho.

Download the Press Release (.doc)
Download the Full Report (.pdf)
Download the Chronological Facts (.pdf)

Additional Press and Information Links:

News Stories:

Additional Phosphate Information:
Greater Yellowstone Coalition
The Phosphate Risk

Additional Selenium Information:
Idaho State University
Cornell Selenium Page
U.S. Forest Service
Selenium/Cutthroat Study - Van Kirk (.pdf)
Selenium Concentrations - Hill (.pdf)
Idaho Phosphate Mines - Causey and Moyle (.pdf)
Selenium Impacts on Fish - Lemly (.pdf)
Selenium Effects - McDonald and Chapman (.pdf)
Procedure for NEPA Assessment - Lemly (.pdf)
Effects of Selenium - Kennedy, Mcdonald, Loveridge
and Strosher (.pdf)
Survey of Selenium in Water - Skorupa, Detwiler, and
Brassfield (.pdf)

Reports and Official Comments:
Smoky Canyon FEIS Comments - GYC etal (.pdf)
Final EECA Comments - Jones (.doc)
Smoky Canyon DEIS Comments - Chambers (.pdf)
Smoky Canyon DEIS Comments - Wald (.pdf)
Smoky Canyon DEIS Comments - Hamilton (.pdf)
Smoky Canyon DEIS Comments - Imhoff (.pdf)
Smoky Canyon DEIS Comments - Trotter (.pdf)
Final Smoky Canyon DEIS Comments (.pdf)
Smoky Canyon Summary (.pdf)
Economic Analysis - Swanson (.pdf)
Review of Hydrogeology - Myers (.pdf)
Area Wide Risk Assessment - HIll (.pdf)
Review of Hardy Report - Hamilton (.pdf)
SWAPE Smoky Canyon Evaluation (.pdf)
Appendices Index (.pdf)