Page 12 - 2014 J. R. Simplot Company Sustainability Summary

12 | Passionate about the Environment
We’re proud to have recently completed a major remediation project at our Conda
phosphate mine in Southeast Idaho. Located northeast of Soda Springs in Caribou
County, the Conda Mine was active from 1906 to 1984. Due to mining practices that
were common during that time period, a trace element—selenium—can be released
into the environment. In the Pedro Creek area of the Conda Mine, we placed a soil-type
“cap” over about 120 acres of the overburden and seeded it with a mixture of grasses.
Erosion control and water management features were also added.
The project was completed on an accelerated timeline and in collaboration with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the
U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Idaho
State Department of Lands. In all, the project took more than two years and required
51,304 total worker hours to complete.
While this specific project is complete, we will be involved in the Mine site’s remediation
over the next decade. Our future plans include developing a plan for long-term
monitoring, expanding the soil-cover and seeding operations, and continuing to study
the soil and vegetation.
Remediation project completed
at Conda Mine Pedro Creek drainage