Southern Idaho Phosphate Mining

Phosphate mining has resulted in some negative ecological consequences due to naturally occurring elements such as selenium, which is found in the overburden removed during mining. In some cases, once these materials are released to the environment, they can pose risks to public health, livestock, and wildlife as they accumulate in soils and vegetation or get flushed into streams and ground water. Investigations to identify source areas, contaminated media, and cleanup plans at historical mine sites are ongoing with oversight from DEQ, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).