Caribou Clean Water Partnership

Court Rules Against Smoky Canyon Injunction

Judge Williams has ruled that an injunction will not be granted for Smoky Canyon and that the GYC lawsuit will not likely succeed on its merits in his court. Earth Justice and GYC have said this ruling is very unfortunate and plan to appeal the case directly to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Court Hearing Held on Smoky Canyon Mine

A Pocatello Judge heard arguments on November 4th on whether or not to issue an injunction on immediate destruction of roadless areas that have been approved for mining by the government. Earth Justice attorney, Tim Preso, presented arguments that if work begins immediately and GYC prevails in their lawsuit, the destruction will be irreparable. Simplot and government laywers argued that if work does not begin right away, ore will run out for their operations. The judge said he would rule promptly. Many of our members showed up to hear the arguments as did many Simplot employees.

Read the story in the Idaho State Journal

Conservation Groups File Suit on Smoky Canyon Expansion

Four conservation groups have filed a lawsuit to challenge the controversial expansion of the Smoky Canyon phosphate mine. The groups are concerned that expansion of the mine—which is already listed as a federal Superfund site due to toxic pollution in area waters—will only create more pollution of southeast Idaho springs and streams...

Read the full Press Release
Read the Boise AP Story
Read the Star Valley Story

Agency Affirms Mining Decision

The U.S. Forest Service has once again ignored key legal issues and public concern as they affirm their decision to allow further mining and new pollution without requiring any clean up. Since these agencies have loosely interpreted federal laws to allow their decisions, those laws must now be clarified by federal courts. We believe the laws are clear on pollution limits and protected lands. We will await federal judges to make the final decision.

Read Press Story

Agencies Ignore Public Concern and Scientist's Warnings in Mining Approval

The U.S. Forest Service and the BLM released a decision In June to allow the Smoky Canyon phosphate mine to expand along the Idaho/Wyoming boarder. The mine is already a Superfund Site due to selenium and other pollution. The decision to permit the mine expansion will cause additional selenium pollution and harm the economy and quality of life for many Idaho and Wyoming residents. Aware of the overwhelming public disapproval about the environmental damage the new mine activity will cause to public lands, the BLM has eliminated their normal public appeal process...

Read the full Press 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 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)