Mining execs urge public to seek facts on CuMo Project exploration in Idaho
by Shaun Dykes and Noelle Laury / Idaho CuMo Mining Company • February 22, 2019
In 2011, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska requested that the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture provide information regarding hard-rock mines and beneficiation plans of operation approved by their respective agencies since 1990. Of the 3,444 explorations and mines permitted since 1990, none of them had been placed on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act National Priorities List. None were found to have made any significant negative impacts on the environment.
To conduct a transparent and honest debate of modern mineral exploration and mining safety, it must be based on facts.
The CuMo Project exploration is located approximately 14 miles northwest of Idaho City. Idaho CuMo Mining Corp. has been attempting to complete a closed loop drilling program since a Plan of Operations was filed in 2007. The PoO includes details of the exact manner in which ICMC will conduct the exploration including preserving all natural resources; constructing and reclaiming roads, drill holes and drill pads; drafting water from streams; transporting equipment and fuel; and avoiding the Sacajawea’s bitterroot.
The CuMo Project is in its exploration phase. There are no tailings dams proposed nor any final analysis that will determine the exact type of chemicals that may or may not be used in extraction. Nor have there been any socioeconomic studies conducted to determine all the needs of the surrounding infrastructure. This type of analyses is premature and will not be conducted during exploration.
The PoO has now undergone three rounds of extensive, time-intensive and expensive third-party analysis, with the outcome of each round being a Finding of No Significant Impact. The PoO and all mitigations detailed in the 300-page Supplemental Redline Environmental Assessment adhere to all state and federal modern mining regulations. All analysis to-date addresses the exploration. Discussions of mine development are purely speculative and often driven by anti-development agendas intending to sway the community.
CuMo is a transparent, publicly traded company that is required by international law to disclose all material facts about the project in a timely manner. Anti-development groups and their operatives are not held to the same high transparency standard. By way of a quick fact check, letters recently published in local publications stated that the CuMo Project is “heavily financially backed” by Chinese investors and accused ICMC of having a board member from the Chinese company MCC8. Neither of these accusations is true and can easily be disproved by searching ICMC’s public disclosures. The fact is CuMo currently has zero Chinese investors.
ICMC is continuing environmental research and seeking data that will provide answers to direct future actions. Community members who believe that safe, domestic strategic mineral exploration and development is critical to the U.S. economy and national security should consider submitting comments to the U.S. Forest Service urging the completion of the SREA and the advancement of CuMo Project exploration.