Salmon River's South Fork
A Critical Threat to the Health of One of America's Wild Western Rivers
Of course, Midas doesn’t plan to intentionally put anything toxic in the river. With an annual budget of 6 million gallons of diesel fuel consumed on site, it is hard to imagine a scenario where none of that fuel makes its way into the watershed. The same can be said for the 7 tons of ammonium nitrate, or the almost 4 tons of sodium cyanide needed for yearly operation of the mine. To be clear, Midas has published an operational plan describing the many chemicals it will use, along with its operational controls intended to minimize the possibility of release of these agents. Any spill, however unlikely, will impact critical habitat designated under the Endangered Species Act for Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, and Bull Trout
This project was originally created as a part of the coursework requirements for Penn State University's Masters in GIS program.
