Published on December 20, 2017
Midas Gold Idaho wants to keep the community informed about the work we are doing at the Stibnite Gold Project site. The Ask Midas blog series gives the experts in our company a chance to answer some of the community’s most frequently asked questions and help clear up any misconceptions around the project.
In the summers, I spend a lot of time up at the Stibnite Gold Project site giving tours to community members and telling them about our plans for the future. As I talk to people about the past, I often get asked what makes Midas Gold different than the companies that have come before it. Let me explain.
Why is mining today different than historical mining?
Mining practices have greatly improved today compared to past decades—especially compared to the early to mid-1900s when major mining activity occurred at Stibnite. Mining, environmental technology and practices have evolved, engineering controls have been developed, federal and state regulatory programs and financial assurance requirements have been adopted and successfully implemented since the early 1990s to ensure comprehensive bonding for mining’s impacts. Societal values have also changed and, at Midas Gold, we are very aware of our potential impact on the environment and have taken extensive and comprehensive measures to address those potential impacts. Historic mining activities focused on profit or, in the case of Stibnite, focused on providing critical and strategic metals for the United States and its allies during World War II and the Korean War, with little regard for impacts to the environment. The Stibnite Gold Project was designed from the start with ultimate closure in mind, and with restoration and reclamation as primary design standards.
It is important to note that, since the implementation of more stringent environmental standards and bonding requirements over the past several decades, there have been no new mines developed in the U.S. that required Federal CERCLA status funding for clean-up.
If you have a question you would like us to answer, please email it to [email protected].
