Boise-The Idaho Mining Association has agreed to withdraw a groundwater pollution bill it introduced (GM Feb. 18, p. 13) and resume negotiations in April with state officials and environmentalists to clarify the application of state regulations to mining operations. The bill, backed by phosphate mining companies such as the J.R. Simplot Co. and Monsanto, would have prevented state regulators from requiring them to restore mineral-tainted water beneath their operations to its natural condition after their open pit mines are shut down. Companies fear such rules would curb future investment. In early 2007, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the mining industry, and environmentalists agreed the Idaho Groundwater Quality Plan, enacted in 1992 by the Legislature to protect aquifer quality while allowing mining activities, was vague and needed changes, but negotiations broke down. In November, IDEQ postponed talks until April 2008. The main issue centers on determining how large an area can be contaminated with pollutants such as selenium, an element naturally occurring with phosphate ore deposits in Eastern Idaho ?Çô and for how long. The Legislature had approved an exemption that allowed limited contamination below mining sites that did not affect other water users. The issue is especially important for the phosphate mining industry in Eastern Idaho, which plans to open or expand several mines soon. Without better-defined rules, that would be much more difficult. Idaho Conservation League Program Director Justin Hayes welcomed the bill’s withdrawal. A return to negotiations will enable rules to be crafted that protect groundwater and allow the mining industry to continue operating in Idaho, Hayes said.
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