Idaho Mining Association Policies

Idaho Mining innovative in environmental programs

Idaho’s mining industry pioneered many environmental programs. As early as 1930, mining companies began improving water quality and fish habitat in the Coeur d’Alene River.

In the 1970s the phosphate industry and the Idaho Fish and Game Department studied the effect phosphate mining was having on the migratory deer and elk herds in the Caribou National Forest. The study not only found mining had no effect on migratory patterns, but reclaimed mine sites were providing improved habitat for the animals, and deer and elk populations had actually increased. 

Clean water is a priority of modern mining. Water used in processing is pumped to holding ponds where the waste material or tailings settle out. Constant water quality monitoring takes place at these ponds. Chemical solutions used in processing are not released into the environment. These solutions are stored in specially built leak-proof ponds and are continually recycled and reused in a closed system.

Concern for the environment does not stop at the mine site. The Simplot Company’s $40 million slurry pipeline dramatically reduces dust associated with conventional ore hauling. High-tech cleaning equipment at phosphate plants in Southeast Idaho has substantially reduced stack emissions. The phosphate industry has spent millions of dollars on advanced emission control equipment.

Research funded by the mining industry is also enhancing environmental performance. The University of Idaho is studying new gold and silver leaching techniques using natural organisms to extract metals.  Researchers at UI are also investigating new ways to predict earthquakes and purify water from mining processes.

Working cooperatively with state, federal and public interest groups, mining will continue to provide high paying jobs, support schools and community services, protect the environment and promise a golden future for the people of Idaho.