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SJM112.....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS IDAHO COBALT PROJECT - Stating findings of the Legislature and requesting the President of the United States, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the USDA Forest Service to make timely decisions on necessary permits and the record decision on the Idaho Cobalt Project. 03/11 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing 03/12 Rpt prt - to Res/Env
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-ninth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2008IN THE SENATE SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 112 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 1 A JOINT MEMORIAL 2 TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TO THE SECRETARY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT 3 OF INTERIOR, TO THE SECRETARY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, TO THE 4 ADMINISTRATOR OF THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, TO THE CHIEF OF 5 THE USDA FOREST SERVICE, TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 6 UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION 7 REPRESENTING THE STATE OF IDAHO IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. 8 We, your Memorialists, the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 9 State of Idaho assembled in the Second Regular Session of the Fifty-ninth 10 Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that: 11 WHEREAS, the state of Idaho is the repository of one of the only and one 12 of the world's largest supplies of cobalt mineralization capable of producing 13 high purity cobalt metal, which has multiple applications that benefit mankind 14 including irreplaceable uses for strategic, industrial and high technology 15 manufacturing, environmental uses, medical purposes, high temperature alloy 16 products for civilian and military jet engines, batteries in hybrid cars that 17 reduce greenhouse gas emissions and batteries in computers and other high 18 technology products, thus justifiably earning the reputation as both a criti- 19 cal strategic metal and a metal with truly "green" applications; and 20 WHEREAS, Formation Capital Corporation's Idaho Cobalt Project has demon- 21 strated that it can build and operate a truly "green" mining project with a 22 minimal impact upon the environment because it will have a small footprint on 23 the land of less than 125 acres, because it will use only underground mining, 24 because the Lemhi County mill will use simple physical separation of the min- 25 erals from the county rock without chemical leaching, and because the final 26 cobalt metal will be produced in the already existing Shoshone County's 27 Sunshine Hydrometallurgical Facility; and 28 WHEREAS, the proposed project will produce over 150 high paying jobs of 29 immediate and year-round benefit to the economies of Lemhi and Custer Coun- 30 ties, as well as an additional thirty-seven high value added jobs at the 31 company's Shoshone County's Sunshine Hydrometallurgical Facility and will gen- 32 erate local and state taxes in excess of eight million dollars annually; and 33 WHEREAS, the United States is the leading consumer of high purity cobalt 34 metal yet produces no domestic supply, and therefore it is in the nation's 35 strategic industrial and military interests to have a domestic supply of such 36 a critical mineral available especially in times of national emergency; and 37 WHEREAS, Formation Capital Corporation has been diligently exploring, 38 developing and permitting the project for fourteen years, has spent tens of 39 millions of dollars to demonstrate to all regulatory agencies, both state and 40 federal, that it will operate responsibly and in full compliance with all 41 applicable laws, rules and regulations, and through steadfast perserverance 42 has won the overwhelming support of its host communities and has answered all 43 its critics respectfully and with complete transparency, consistency and hon- 44 esty. 2 1 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Ses- 2 sion of the Fifty-ninth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Repre- 3 sentatives concurring therein, that we request the President of the United 4 States, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the USDA Forest 5 Service to make timely decisions on necessary permits and the record decision 6 on the Idaho Cobalt Project. 7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate be, and she is 8 hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this Memorial to the Pres- 9 ident of the United States, to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Inte- 10 rior, to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense, to the Administrator 11 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to the Chief of the USDA Forest 12 Service, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Rep- 13 resentatives of Congress, and the congressional delegation representing the 14 State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 17997
This memorial expresses the Idaho Legislature's support for
federal officials to make timely decisions on necessary permits
and the record decision on the Idaho Cobalt Project.
FISCAL NOTE
None
Contact
Name: Pete Skamser
Phone: 208-395-1029
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE SJM 112