IDAHO, USA — Mining has been a bedrock of Idaho's economy since before the Gem State became a state, but an environmental nonprofit group says abandoned mines are leaving a legacy that's harming the landscape.
To better understand how mining has impacted state's environment, the Idaho Conservation League put together a comprehensive statewide report on mining in the Gem State.
Data shows there are about 8,800 abandoned mines across Idaho, that could have impacts on the environment and human health.
"Generally speaking, we often see things like contaminated soils and dust, heavy metals, contamination of water," Josh Johnson, the Idaho Conservation League's central Idaho director said. "Often things like arsenic that you really don't want in your drinking water or in your rivers - we see that pretty frequently from abandoned mines."
One example is the Triumph Mine east of Ketchum. Long abandoned - but with impacts still being felt today.
"That site had impacts from arsenic in the water, tailings and contaminated dust on the site as well," Johnson said.
The industry that settled the west has turned into the wild west when it comes to who's responsible for cleaning up those mines.
"The mining companies aren't there anymore. Either it is just so long ago that those companies don't exist, or the companies are more modern - but have gotten bankrupt," Johnson said. "There's no one to hold accountable there, so it moves on down the line."
Responsibility for cleaning up the old sites could then fall on the EPA, land management agencies or the state itself.
In 1999, the Idaho Legislature created a law requiring 34% of the Idaho Mine License Tax to go into an Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Fund. However, revenue from that tax has plummeted and the Idaho Department of Lands predicts the Mine Reclamation Fund will become insolvent in 2027.
The Idaho Conservation League says change starts with more responsible mining practices and having a better understanding of the hazards that abandoned mines pose.
"That history is interesting, but we also have to recognize there's a dirtier side to that history," Johnson said. "Those abandoned mines, not only should they be cleaned up to the extent that we can, but it also should remind us as we head into the future...of what can go wrong and what to avoid in the future so we don't continue to make this problem worse."
The nonprofit is also advocating for a type of Good Samaritan legislation that would allow for an environmental group to clean up a site without assuming the environmental liabilities from it.