Conservation groups challenge Stibnite air quality permit

The Idaho Conservation League and Save the South Fork Salmon have initiated legal action against the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality over a key air quality permit for a proposed open-pit gold and antimony mining project. They claim the department failed to adequately evaluate the anticipated arsenic and dust emissions from mining operations adjacent to the Frank Church River Wilderness. Critics argue that allowing Perpetua Resources to assert a 93. 3% dust control rate is unrealistic and misleading. Filed in Idaho's 4th District Court, the lawsuit emphasizes public health concerns regarding toxic emissions.

Perpetua Resources aims to revive a previously dormant mine, promising job creation and significant mineral output. This project, however, is located in a sensitive ecological zone already impacted by historical mining. The South Fork of the Salmon River, home to threatened fish species, is at risk from potential environmental degradation. The Nez Perce Tribe and conservation advocates maintain that mining operations will further endanger these protected species and harm the ecosystem.