After millions of dollars in environmental cleanup, Idaho’s cobalt hotspot is welcoming its first new mining outfit in 40 years. Can it dig up the essential metal responsibly?
the Salmon-Challis National Forest of central Idaho, the remnants of the Blackbird Mine lie among 830 acres of steep-walled canyons thick with soaring conifers. Dirt roads slash through patches of forest, and a 12-acre open pit, roughly the size of nine football fields, remains as a reminder of a bygone era. Abandoned tunnels snake beneath a retaining pool that brims with a watery sludge of metallic deposits.
A sample of cobaltite-biotite, an ore of cobalt and other minerals, collected from the Blackbird Mine in central Idaho in the 1940s. Yet new activity is awakening old concerns, especially among local groups leerily watching developments within the state’s cobalt honeypot. The Blackbird Mine’s big sin was “open-pit” digging that allowed noxious byproducts to contaminate the local ecosystem.
“We have landscapes that have been turned to moonscapes and contamination left behind that will have to be managed for centuries,” says Aimee Boulanger, executive director of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, an organization that sets standards for the independent auditing of industrial-scale extraction operations.
Other international firms are interested in Idaho’s stash of cobalt, but Jervois has a head start. In 2019, it acquired a 2,500-acre claim in the cobalt belt from previous owners who had gone to the trouble of getting permitted by the US Forest Service back in 2009. Therefore, the area has already undergone an environmental impact study.
If there’s a sales pitch to be made for responsible mining, it comes from Lengerich. He’s quick to tout his outdoorsy bona fides and his residency in the town of Salmon, inside the Idaho Cobalt Belt.
日本 最新ニュース, 日本 見出し
Similar News:他のニュース ソースから収集した、これに似たニュース記事を読むこともできます。
Billboard’s 2022 40 Under 40 RevealedOur annual list honoring the top young executives and innovators across the music industry.
続きを読む »
5 Of The Best Ways To Wear Crochet When You're Over 40Do you say 'no way' to crochet? Here are some of the best ways to wear the crochet trend this season. They might just change your mind! crochet springtrend over40 FreePeople nordstrom shopbop
続きを読む »
Nvidia RTX 40 GPUs could arrive sooner than anticipated | Digital TrendsIt seems that Nvidia’s next-gen RTX40-series graphicscards could be set for a launch sooner than originally anticipated.
続きを読む »
The Houston Food Bank turns 40 as food insecurity, poverty continue to skyrocketCOVID-19 eroded the Houston Food Bank’s army of 85,000 volunteers, many of whom have yet to return. Meanwhile, service demands are higher than before COVID as Texans continue to rely on charity to combat skyrocketing inflation.
続きを読む »
North Park Music Fest brings over 40 bands, unique food and drinks to San Diego -SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A first-time event, the North Park Music Fest, is bringing over 40 bands for all-ages to enjoy music, drinks, food, and more from May 21-22 on the newly-built North Park Mini Park. The event takes place on 30th Street and North Park Way in the heart of one of San Diego’s trendiest neighborhoods. Hours for the...
続きを読む »
El Salvador Invites Over 40 Central Banks for International Event on Bitcoin El Salvador Invites Over 40 Central Banks for Int’l Event on BitcoinIt will be one of the largest events of government officials on bitcoin -- an issue they have been mostly shying away It will be one of the largest events of government officials on bitcoin -- an issue they have been mostly shying away
続きを読む »