Permitting Stibnite - Where Things Stand

If you are familiar with ICL’s work, you’ve probably heard about the Stibnite Gold Project (SGP): a huge open pit, cyanide vat leach gold and antimony mine proposed by mining company Perpetua Resources near McCall. This mine sits smack dab within the headwaters of the South Fork of the Salmon River, one of the iconic rivers in the state. Earlier this year, the SGP received its approval by the U.S. Forest Service despite significant and long-standing opposition from an array of conservation groups as well as the Nez Perce Tribe. While this was the biggest permit required for the project to proceed, there are several other federal and state permits needed for the project that remain in limbo. In addition, Perpetua Resources still needs to make a few minor adjustments to the Plan of Operations before the Forest Service gives the final authorization to proceed. Given, by Perpetua’s count, that SGP would need about 50 permits in order to operate (which is necessary given the complexity of the project and the potential environmental impacts), there’s a lot to keep track of. So, we wanted to provide a handy synopsis of where all the major permits currently stand. Of the seven major permits outlined in the table below, ICL and other conservation organizations submitted public comments outlining our concerns on every single one. In some cases, the issuing agency made changes to these permits, and in other cases, they did not. For three permits, ICL’s unresolved concerns led us to file an administrative or judicial appeal with the issuing agency.While just the total number of environmental permits Perpetua must secure might indicate an environmentally sound project, this is a dangerous assumption. Just as a cake is only as good as the quality of the ingredients going into it, a permit is only as good as the assumptions, data, and interpretations of environmental law that go into it. For many of the permits listed above, it seems inappropriate “ingredients” going in have led to inappropriate (i.e. not environmentally protective) permits coming out. Perpetua is pushing to start mine construction later this summer, but with some financing details to still work out and the unsecured or appealed permits noted above, it is unclear what aspects of the full mine Perpetua will or won’t be able to start construction on. As these details play out, the future of the SGP will be revealed. It is also unclear how the recent federal layoffs, budget cuts, and the current administration’s prioritization of mining over conservation will affect the management and monitoring of the SGP in the years ahead. Most importantly, ICL and our partners will be working diligently to protect the South Fork Salmon River watershed from the serious threats posed by this mine. You can support our fight to protect this watershed and all it provides from Stibnite too by becoming a member of ICL or making a special donation today.