Summary of Mining Plans of Operation in Idaho.
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Currently on file with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are 110 mining plans and notices filed by 17 companies and 16 individuals, encompassing a total estimated area of 10,492 acres of BLM-managed public land in Idaho. These plans and notices are filed on public land laden with gold, silver, copper and other precious metals and minerals worth billions of dollars. And these operations are only those on BLM lands, not on Forest Service lands, for which mining plans and notices are not entered into the government's LR2000 database that forms the backbone of this site. But whether the mines are on BLM or Forest Service land, none of the corporate revenue is reimbursed to the public. Instead, companies leave behind unfathomable amounts of waste. In 2001 alone, the industry dumped enough mercury nationally to fill a billion thermometers and arsenic in quantities that would pollute all public drinking water supplies for 350 years. In 2001, mines generated 45 percent of all pollution reported in the U.S. while accounting for just 0.36 percent of all industrial facilities.
| Quick facts about mining plans on BLM land in Idaho |
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• Acres of U.S. public land (BLM land only) under mining plans and notices, estimated: 10,492 • Foreign-owned corporations among top BLM land mine operators: 2 of 10 • Pollution from all US mining operations, ranking among all U.S. industries: : #1 in total toxic releases • Pollution from top 89 mines in US: 5 times pollution from entire U.S. chemical industry (3,600 plants) • Western water polluted by mine waste: 40 percent of Western headwaters • Proposed mining operations that have been blocked by the Department of Interior because they posed a risk to public health or the environment: None • Other land uses that supercede rights of mining companies to operate on public lands: None |
EWG analysis of data compiled by the Bureau of Land Management. |
Top Mining Plan/Notice Companies/Individuals on BLM land in Idaho Ranked by Acres Affected
Companies have been consolidated to account for subsidiaries. View this table without consolidation.
| Company/Individual | Headquarters | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | Plan Date(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinross | World HQ in Canada | 2 | 9,340 | 1981 to 1991 |
| 2 | Beartooth Platinum Corp. | World HQ in Canada | 1 | 200 | 1990 |
| 3 | Chemstar | Henderson, NV | 2 | 194 | 1990 to 1991 |
| 4 | Idaho Gold Corp | Arco, ID | 1 | 135 | 1989 |
| 5 | Eileen Steele | Twin Falls, ID | 1 | 123 | 1993 |
| 6 | L & W Stone Corp | Orland, CA | 1 | 123 | 1993 |
| 7 | Juniper Rose LLC | University Pl, WA | 1 | 80 | 0 |
| 8 | Harry Lee Melton | Grand View, ID | 1 | 40 | 1983 |
| 9 | Carco Mineral Resources Inc | Caldwell, ID | 2 | 40 | 1990 to 2000 |
| 10 | Owyhee Calcium Products Inc | Grand View, ID | 1 | 40 | 1983 |
| See all plan/notice holders in Idaho | |||||
Counties in Idaho Ranked by Acres Affected by Plans and Notices
| County | Number of Mining Plans & Notices on BLM land | Estimated Acreage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owyhee County | 20 | 9,475 | details | map |
| 2 | Idaho County | 10 | 215 | details | map |
| 3 | Caribou County | 4 | 200 | details | map |
| 4 | Butte County | 3 | 146 | details | map |
| 5 | Custer County | 7 | 140 | details | map |
| 6 | Elmore County | 2 | 85 | details | map |
| 7 | Blaine County | 11 | 58 | details | map |
| 8 | Cassia County | 9 | 54 | details | map |
| 9 | Boise County | 7 | 25 | details | map |
| 10 | Lincoln County | 10 | 23 | details | map |
| See all counties | |||||
Examples of Mines in Idaho
| Name of Mine | Location of Mine | Mine Status | Metal Mined | Owner or Parent Company of Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackbird | Lemhi County, ID | Closed | Cobalt | Noranda |
| Bunker Hill Mine | Shoshone County, ID | Closed | Polymetallic | Hecla Mining Company |
| Delamar Mine | Owyhee County, ID | Suspended | Silver ores | Kinross Gold Corporation |
| Stibnite Mine | Valley County, ID | Closed | Gold | Dakota Mining Company |
| Beartrack Mine | Lemhi County, ID | Closed | Gold | Meridian Gold Inc. |
| Grouse Creek Mine | Custer County, ID | Closed | Gold | Hecla Mining Company |
| Lucky Friday Silver Mine | Shoshone County, ID | Open | Silver ores | Hecla Mining Company |
| Black Pine | Cassia County, ID | Closed | Gold | Pegasus Gold Corp |
| Idaho Cobalt Project | Ravalli County, ID | Proposed | Cobalt, Copper & G | Formation Capital |
| Golden Hand Mine | Custer County, ID | Proposed | Gold | American Independence Mines |
| See more mines in Idaho | ||||
Source: EWG analysis.