From the New West Blog: Forest Service Decision on Atlanta Gold
We Do Prefer Our Water Without Arsenic
By Jill Kuraitis, 5-16-08
Those of us who like our water uncontaminated with arsenic will be glad to hear this: the U.S. Forest Service is making the Atlanta Gold mining company post a $8.6 million bond and clean up existing pollution before they dig around any more.
Let’s review: the Atlanta folks are mining for gold, which, scientifically speaking, is a sparkly, pretty substance that sells for lots of money, which they get to keep. We’re not getting any of that gold – but we are drinking the water that runs off from all that messing in the muck.
The mine site is near Atlanta, Idaho, and the company wants to explore the Boise River watershed. But past mining has polluted the area with arsenic, and a permanent water treatment plant is needed to keep the arsenic from ending up in the Middle Fork of the Boise, according to the Idaho Conservation League.
The ICL is pleased with the Forest Service decision, but wants to keep an eye on the bonding process to make sure money is posted before operations begin in three to five years. A portion of the $8.6 million has to be posted before the company can do any exploring at all.
Liz Paul of Idaho Rivers United is more cautious. “We already know that the water will have to be treated indefinitely, so the Forest Service should require the full bond now,” she said. “Bonding for known problems should not be linked to future profits and potentially more water pollution.”
While Atlanta Gold has put their larger, open pit cyanide heap leach mine onhold for now, they recently announced they had received $5.6 million in
investments and quadrupled their mining claims by staking over 10 square miles of claims near the historic town of Rocky Bar.
Doesn’t the phrase “open pit cyanide heap leach mine” give you the willies?
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