CHALLIS, ID – On Thursday, August 11, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and United States Forest Service will conditionally approve a modified mine plan to allow the production of molybdenum from the Thompson Creek Mine for approximately 10 more years. Molybdenum is used as a component to reduce corrosion and strengthen steel and other metals typically used in construction. The approval of the plan will likely result in additional surface disturbance on about 500 acres of BLM, National Forest System, and private land. Most of the disturbed land will be used for the permanent storage of waste rock following the extraction of molybdenum ore.
The BLM Record of Decision (ROD) and Forest Service ROD each conditionally approve a modified mine plan consistent with Alternative M2 analyzed in a Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) released on March 27, 2015. This alternative focuses on the potential environmental effects of the mine including water quality concerns and the use of engineered systems to safely contain waste rock and tailings and manage all water that contacts the mine. The Final EIS also analyzes the economic effects of the mine on Custer County and Idaho. At its peak, the mine employs about 400 people.