A new phosphate mine is in consideration with the hopes to have it up and running within a year. Monsanto, along with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, met in front of Pocatello's city council today to discuss concerns and hopes for the new Blackfoot Bridge Mine, and how it may affect the residents of eastern Idaho. The mine would be just north of Soda Springs, and lands very close to the Blackfoot River.

Marv Hoyt, Director of Idaho's Greater Yellowstone Coalition: "There's a lot of concern. The Blackfoot River is contaminated already with a lot of selenium and what we want to ensure is that this proposal doesn't further contaminate that river and threaten Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Trent Clark, Public and Governmental Affairs for Monsanto: "One of the things we've learned over time is the more scrutiny we can get right up front the better, because it's much better to start a mine with excellent plans than to go forward with the mine and find out that you missed something after the fact."

Monsanto plans to have the first draft of its Environmental Impact Statement done by the 1st of July.

Trent Clark, Public and Governmental Affairs for Monsanto: "An environmental impact statement is an opportunity for the public to look at and review and critique.  If we're getting this much attention on an environmental impact statement even before it's released, it's a good sign."

Marv Hoyt, Director of Idaho's Greater Yellowstone Coalition: "These are public lands and public resources and they need to be managed for the public at large, not just the profit of some companies.

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition has great hopes for the Environmental Impact Statement.

Marv Hoyt: "They're proposing something the other companies have been rejecting out of hand for years, and that's using a synthetic liner cover to protect water availability."

Monsanto has stated that the Blackfoot Bridge Mine will be among the most environmentally advanced phosphate mines in North America.

The Blackfoot Bridge Mine and its manufacturing operation would employ roughly 770 people in eastern Idaho.

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