BLACKFOOT BRIDGE COMMENTS

In late November we submitted more than 450 pages of detailed comments and supporting documentation and reports on Monsanto’s proposed Blackfoot Bridge Mine. All told, more than 7,000 comments were received on the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). Thanks to all of you who sent in comments. It is vitally important for the BLM to hear from us.

While the proposed mine and reclamation plan is a vast improvement over past proposals from the phosphate mining industry (due in great part to efforts of regular people taking action for clean water), we and our expert consultants identified a number of issues that must be resolved prior to the Bureau of Land Management approving the new mine.

The comment opportunity on the mine also made evident that there is a new sheriff in town at the level of government agencies. When we compared our comments to those submitted by the US Environmental Protection Agency and US Fish and Wildlife Service, the issues and problems they raised were almost identical to those we identified.

The final decision on the mine proposal, originally scheduled for this winter, has been delayed until sometime next summer. We are hopeful that the BLM will require Monsanto to fix the problems with their proposal or even deny their permit request outright. This would send the clear message that more clean up and better practices must happen before additional mines can be permitted.

This past December, just prior to the holidays, the great team of lawyers at Earthjustice that has been representing our partner organizations – the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and Defenders of Wildlife – filed the final brief to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on our legal challenge of the expansion of the Smoky Canyon Mine. The next action on our appeal of the U.S. District Court for Idaho’s decision will be in Seattle, before a three-judge panel. This will likely occur sometime this coming spring, and we should have a decision before the end of the year.

In the meantime massive mining equipment continues to eat away at the irreplaceable wildlands in the Sage Creek watershed (see larger photos below) and selenium contamination released by the mine continues to poison streams and kill fish. We have great confidence that our appeal will be successful and this outrage will be halted.

On December 16th, just in time for the holidays, Agrium, which operates the Dry Valley Phosphate Mine and is responsible for cleaning up at least five of the phosphate Superfund mine sites, announced it would temporarily lay off 118 employees at the Dry Valley Mine. According to the company, the layoffs are due to a surplus in phosphate ore. However, it is just as likely that the significant drop in the price phosphate based fertilizers are fetching these days had a roll in the layoffs.

Records show that Monsanto also laid off employees this year due to the downturn in the phosphate market. While these companies often try to blame such events on the honest efforts of those who care about clean water and the future value of public lands, the reality is that the mining industry has always operated on boom and bust cycles. Relying heavily on mining jobs to support the future economy of the region is placing our future well-being on empty hopes and ever increasing toxic pollution.

Such layoffs are a stark reminder that strip mining may provide temporary jobs and money, but cannot do so forever. The time has come to build a future economy for the region that is supported by renewable resources as well as healthy, vibrant, and protected wild places. Due to the tremendous impact of mining, humans bear a significant responsibility to clean up and protect these rare resources for those who cannot. It is time to take up that responsibility and create a better future for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Below is a view of Panel F at Smoky Canyon before mining activity.

Below is the same view this past summer as trees are stripped in preparation for mining.



Download a printable version of this newsletter by clicking here (, 350 K)

If this was forwarded to you, and you would like to join the Caribou Clean Water Partnership and receive these mailings directly, Join for free on our website.