FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Group Calls for Investigation into Salmon River Abuse
water pollution in Salmon river from mining operation
Bulldozer in Salmon River
BOISE - A mining company has drawn fire from Idaho's leading
conservation group over heavy equipment and water pollution in the
Salmon River near White Bird, prompting an official investigation into
the mine operations.
The Idaho Conservation League called on the Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA-Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to investigate potential violations of the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act.
Images made public today show heavy equipment and earth-moving activity in the river channel.
"The Salmon River and Idaho's clean water belong to everyone. No one has a right to abuse them," said Jonathan Oppenheimer, Senior Conservation Associate with the Idaho Conservation League. "There are plenty of places to mine gravel in Idaho without risking one of Idaho's prized gems, the Salmon River."
According to site visits and documents obtained under the Idaho Open Records Act, the Idaho Conservation League maintains that a gravel mining company is operating without appropriate permits and is impacting water quality the Salmon River.
"Idahoans have worked hard to keep our water clean and maintain our precious steelhead and salmon runs," said Scott Stouder, western field director for Trout Unlimited in Pollock. "We cannot afford to have our regulators fall asleep at the wheel."
The mine is operated under a lease from the Idaho Department of Lands issued in 2006. That lease requires the operator to "comply with the [Idaho] Stream Channel Protection Act" and "to comply with the Endangered Species Act." Because the Idaho Conservation League suspects that the company has violated both laws, the group today called on Idaho Department of Lands Director George Bacon to investigate and, if necessary, rescind the state lease.
"Research has shown that gravel mining in streams and rivers can harm fisheries and aquatic habitat. Instead, we should use other sources of gravel, and protect Idaho's valuable water resources for generations to come," said Dr. Jennifer Pierce, an assistant professor in the Geosciences Department at Boise State University, who has studied the effects of mining on rivers throughout the Pacific Northwest.
In response to the letters from the Idaho Conservation League, the EPA, NOAA-Fisheries and the USFWS initiated investigations.
The Idaho Conservation League called on the Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA-Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to investigate potential violations of the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act.
Images made public today show heavy equipment and earth-moving activity in the river channel.
"The Salmon River and Idaho's clean water belong to everyone. No one has a right to abuse them," said Jonathan Oppenheimer, Senior Conservation Associate with the Idaho Conservation League. "There are plenty of places to mine gravel in Idaho without risking one of Idaho's prized gems, the Salmon River."
According to site visits and documents obtained under the Idaho Open Records Act, the Idaho Conservation League maintains that a gravel mining company is operating without appropriate permits and is impacting water quality the Salmon River.
"Idahoans have worked hard to keep our water clean and maintain our precious steelhead and salmon runs," said Scott Stouder, western field director for Trout Unlimited in Pollock. "We cannot afford to have our regulators fall asleep at the wheel."
The mine is operated under a lease from the Idaho Department of Lands issued in 2006. That lease requires the operator to "comply with the [Idaho] Stream Channel Protection Act" and "to comply with the Endangered Species Act." Because the Idaho Conservation League suspects that the company has violated both laws, the group today called on Idaho Department of Lands Director George Bacon to investigate and, if necessary, rescind the state lease.
"Research has shown that gravel mining in streams and rivers can harm fisheries and aquatic habitat. Instead, we should use other sources of gravel, and protect Idaho's valuable water resources for generations to come," said Dr. Jennifer Pierce, an assistant professor in the Geosciences Department at Boise State University, who has studied the effects of mining on rivers throughout the Pacific Northwest.
In response to the letters from the Idaho Conservation League, the EPA, NOAA-Fisheries and the USFWS initiated investigations.
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