This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Boise, Idaho • Two environmental groups have reopened a lawsuit contending a Canadian mining company is polluting the Boise River system despite a court order to stop.
The Idaho Conservation League and the Northwest Environmental Defense Center on Thursday submitted court filings contending Atlanta Gold Corporation is violating the court order and the Clean Water Act.
A federal court in 2012 penalized the company $2 million not doing enough to staunch the flow of arsenic.
Atlanta Gold President Ernest Simmons says the company is trying to get federal approval to plug a century old tunnel emitting the water.
He says water in the heavily mined area accumulates in the tunnel and increases during spring snowmelt, causing the violations.
He says the area contains up to $5 billion in gold and silver.