Published on October 10, 2019
For the last decade, Midas Gold Idaho has worked in good-faith to establish an open-door policy around the Stibnite Gold Project in an attempt to create an environment of collaboration. So, we were disappointed to learn a few groups with whom we have worked diligently to include in our permitting process are holding a protest against our project.
At the end of the day, we share the same goals as the members of these environmental organizations. But it is important to focus on the facts, especially about the legacy problems that are negatively impacting water quality and fish migration on the East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon River.
The reality is, solutions to protect the environment from the damage we inherited up at Stibnite will require industry and environmental groups to work together.
- Together, we can finally see salmon swim past an abandoned mining pit that currently blocks their passage.
- Together, we can use the resources of private industry to clean up millions of tons of historical tailings that sit unlined in the headwaters of the East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon River.
- Together, we can start a future where the minerals we all need in our daily lives are produced responsibly here at home, rather than dependence upon foreign countries.
We are working to make all these objectives become reality.
Since we first started exploring the site, we have engaged with many individuals and attempted to work with groups across the state in order to develop the best project possible. The numbers speak for themselves:
- 82 tours given to the public over the last two years
- 900+ tour participants going up to site to learn about our plans for restoration and mining
- 45+ hours over 15 days of open-door office time for the public to come ask us questions
- 140 days dedicated to outreach in the surrounding communities in 2019
- 41 project presentations given to stakeholders and organizations
We are willing to listen and talk with representatives from any organization or group and anyone else interested in developing a feasible plan to address the problems facing the historical Stibnite Mining District – a place we feel we can all find common ground. If you disagree with our approach or if you have thoughts on how we can make our project design better, please come talk with us. We are willing to meet with you now and on an ongoing basis throughout the life of our project.
In our experience, as Idahoans, we’ve found we can accomplish more by talking with one another than about one another. We may never agree on mining development, but we believe that we all want to see the environment restored and protected. Let’s achieve this goal together through a civil dialogue and become partners in restoration.
We would love to hear from you and are more than willing to walk you through the details of our proposed plan. Please email [email protected] to set time with our staff.
