Blackbird mine (original) (raw)

Blackbird mine was a large cobalt mine in Lemhi County, Idaho, United States. Mining for gold started in 1893, and the mine produced copper and cobalt between 1902 and 1968. The deposit still holds considerable amounts of copper and cobalt. Water contamination at the mine resulted it its listing as a superfund site in 1983, and lawsuits ensued between the state of Idaho and the mining companies to clean it up. After over a decade in the courts, some cleanup began in 1997, which is indefinitely ongoing.