Progress of mining and exploration in Idaho: An update on the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program from the Idaho Geological Survey By Virginia S. Gillerman, Claudio Berti, and Reed S. Lewis, Idaho Geological Survey
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daho mining operations in 2019 improved from the previous year (2018), with several advanced exploration drilling projects, a new gold mine, and a new phosphate mine in development at year’s end. In Northern Idaho, miners from the Lucky Friday were voting on a tentative settlement for their strike against Hecla Mining Company. The Galena mine, owned by Americas Gold and Silver Corporation, was producing, and this company an-
nounced a new investment agreement to modernize the mine’s infrastructure. New Jersey’s Golden Chest mine at Murray produced gold from surface and underground, and a Finnish company, Endomines, was opening a small underground gold mine near Elk City. Open pit mining at the three large phosphate mines in Southeastern Idaho continued as usual. The Bureau of Land Management approved the new Caldwell Canyon phosphate project of Bayer, who
purchased Monsanto last year, and a Final Environmental Impact Statement for mining at Simplot’s Dairy Syncline property was released in November. In addition, Oakley stone quarries and aggregate operations had a busy year. Mineral exploration remained active, particularly in regard to precious metals, though activity at grass-roots projects was down slightly. With a decrease in cobalt prices since last year, only two projects in
Since 2007, the Idaho Geological Survey (IGS) has been involved in the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP). This effort is resulting in a vast digital repository of over 13,000 documents from the IGS Mineral Property Files collection (MPF), that is serviced through an interactive web map application on the IGS website (www.idahogeology.org/webmap).
Idaho mineral exploration projects in 2019.
20 Mine Idaho
Mining at J.R. Simplot’s Smoky Canyon mine, F2 panel.
