Blackfoot Mine

 Would you rather buy your glyphosate-based herbicide  from the U.S. or China. Let’s talk in a minute. Leaders from a broad spectrum of Idaho’s agriculture community announced support of Monsanto’s proposed Blackfoot Bridge phosphate mine, which will allow for the continued domestic production of specialty herbicides that help farmers produce food more efficiently, and do so in an environmentally sound manner. The plant in Soda Springs is the only source of elemental phosphorus in the United States. Without it, we would be forced to rely on China.

 Rick Waitley, executive director of the Food Producers of Idaho points out that as the world’s population continues to grow with staggering population growth figures for the years 2025 and beyond, the need for an adequate food supply becomes more and more evident. He contends that the Blackfoot Bridge Mine is key to meeting the food production needs of the future.

 John Thompson, Director of Public Relations for the Idaho Farm Bureau has another view on the positive potential for the mine: “I think the other big factor here is it’s nearly 800 jobs and a lot of revenue for S.E. Idaho.”

 If approved by the BLM, Blackfoot Bridge will replace the South Rasmussen Mine as the provider of feedstock for Monsanto’s elemental phosphorous plant. The BLM’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) points out, without Blackfoot Bridge the plant will likely have to close. Monsanto uses the elemental phosphorous produced at Soda Springs as the primary building block in Roundup.