Challenging Smoky Canyon Mine Expansion Permit

Earthjustice challenged the expansion of the Smoky Canyon phosphate mine into the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, citing risks of selenium pollution and the destruction of over 1,100 acres of pristine roadless forests. Despite concerns from Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management scientists, the expansion was authorized in 2008, and a 2010 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling ultimately upheld the decision.

• The expansion of the Smoky Canyon phosphate mine would extend the mine's footprint into more than 1,100 acres of public lands featuring pristine roadless forests within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
• The mine is already designated as a federal Superfund site because of toxic pollution in local waters from previous mining, and further expansion is expected to increase pollution in southeast Idaho's streams and springs.
• Mining for phosphate ore involves excavating selenium-bearing rock; selenium is a mineral known to cause death and deformities in animals and poses a threat to humans, having previously killed livestock, trout, and wildlife in southeast Idaho.
• Although scientists from the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service questioned the expansion plan's science and practices, the Bush administration authorized the expansion in June 2008, a decision upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in December 2010.

APA

Earthjustice (2009). Challenging Smoky Canyon Mine Expansion Permit. https://earthjustice.org/case/challenging-smoky-canyon-mine-expansion-permit

Chicago

Earthjustice. Challenging Smoky Canyon Mine Expansion Permit. 2009. https://earthjustice.org/case/challenging-smoky-canyon-mine-expansion-permit.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Challenging Smoky Canyon Mine Expansion Permit |date=13 April 2009 |url=https://earthjustice.org/case/challenging-smoky-canyon-mine-expansion-permit |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2009challenging, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Challenging Smoky Canyon Mine Expansion Permit}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://earthjustice.org/case/challenging-smoky-canyon-mine-expansion-permit}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }