Idaho Gold Mine Drilling Faces Threat from New Lawsuit

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Two environment groups filed a lawsuit seeking stoppage of Excellon Idaho Gold’s Kilgore Gold Exploration Project in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Clark County. The Idaho Conservation League and Greater Yellowstone Coalition alleged that the U.S. Forest Service violated environmental laws in approving exploratory drilling.

The groups cited that drilling activities in the region pose threat to life of bears that are protected under the Endangered Species Act and species of fish that are being proposed for listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Also, it violates the Forest Service Act of 1897 that includes protections for national forests.

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The environmental groups had filed a similar lawsuit in 2018 to stop exploratory drilling by the then owner Otis Gold Corporation, which they had won. Later in 2021, the Forest Service approved a new plan put forward by Excellon Idaho Gold, which acquired the project from Otis in 2020. As per the newly approved plan, the operations involving road building and drill stations are scheduled to start by mid-July this year.

The groups had initially sought to reopen the first case so as to file a supplemental complaint, but it was rejected by the court. Subsequently, an entirely new lawsuit was filed to start a new case.