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Perpetua begins work on cleaning up historic Stibnite mining area

13th July 2022

By: Darren Parker

Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

     

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Nasdaq-listed Perpetua Resources hosted a ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday to mark the beginning of early clean-up activities and water quality improvements at the historic Stibnite mining district in Idaho.

The ceremony was attended by community members, government officials and local business leaders.

After 100 years of mining activity in the area, millions of tons of unconstrained tailings and mine waste have been left behind by previous operators, degrading water quality in the area.

The ground-breaking ceremony marked the start of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment designed to improve environmental conditions at Stibnite.

Mining at Stibnite began in 1899, whereafter the area gained national significance during World War II when the US government commissioned antimony and tungsten production from the site to help with the war effort. Stibnite produced the majority of both minerals used by the US during the 1939 to 1945 war, with the US Munitions Board crediting the mine for shortening World War II by a year and saving a million American lives.

Most of the mining that occurred at Stibnite took place before modern environmental protections and regulations were established. As a result, the site was never fully rehabilitated.

At least 10.5-million tons of unlined tailings and waste leach arsenic and antimony into ground and surface water. Moreover, the east fork of the south fork of the Salmon river flows into an abandoned mining pit and habitat conditions are degraded.

"We did not cause the contamination that has worsened water quality in the historic Stibnite mining district for decades, but we are part of the solution,” Perpetua CEO Laurel Sayer said.

Perpetua has proposed a redevelopment plan to mine the site for gold and the critical mineral antimony, while concurrently restoring the environment.

The first four-year phase of the project includes removing 325 000 t of legacy waste and tailings away from the river and rerouting streams to keep clean water clean.

While the Stibnite gold project is currently under regulatory review, early clean-up actions will now start. Perpetua, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Forest Service have worked together to develop a detailed scope of work for Phase 1 clean-up activities since signing the agreement last year.

"Idaho's natural resources can contribute a steady domestic supply of the materials we need to advance our economy. At the same time, cleanup projects . . . are a critical part of the future of responsible mining in Idaho," Idaho governor Brad Little said.

Construction company IMCO Construction was selected to oversee water quality improvements taking place during June, July and August. These improvements include lining, improving and rerouting stream channels on site to keep clean water from interacting with old waste dumps on site, as well as removing the Defense Minerals Exploration Administration legacy waste rock dump from within and along a tributary to the east fork of the south fork of the Salmon river and restoring the original streamflow course.

"I was pleased to see the EPA and USDA [US Department of Agriculture] sign an agreement granting Perpetua Resources permission to voluntarily clean up key areas by the historical Stibnite mine site. These time-critical actions are long overdue and will focus on addressing the most immediate needs to improve water quality,” Idaho congressman Mike Simpson said.

Perpetua worked with the EPA and the USDA for more than three years to receive permission to conduct the cleanup activities. After consultation with other interested parties – such as the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality – Perpetua, the EPA and USDA signed an administrative settlement agreement and order on consent last year, which paved the way for Perpetua to address legacy issues in key areas of the Stibnite district. 

"Water is one of Idaho's most treasured resources. . . By improving water quality in the historic Stibnite mining district through voluntary cleanup activities, Perpetua is showing the way for collaborative mining into the future,” Idaho congressman Russ Fulcher said.

Edited by Mariaan Webb
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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