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DEQ accepting applications for 2024 small suction dredge mining season 

April 9, 2024 

Contact: Angela Anderson, IPDES General Permit Supervisor, Angela.Anderson@deq.idaho.gov 

BOISE – The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is accepting small suction dredge mining permit applications for the 2024 season. 

The Small Suction Dredge Mining General Permit (SSDMGP) is currently out for public comment. If issued, the permit would authorize discharge into Waters of the United States from small suction dredge mining operations within the state of Idaho. The general permit identifies the pollutants of concern, required limits for each pollutant, and monitoring and reporting requirements necessary to ensure compliance with the permit and to protect human health and the environment. 

A final effective date will be determined when the comment opportunity closes. 

Deadlines and Submittal Instructions 

The SSDMGP Notice of Intent application will be available for editing in DEQ’s Idaho Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (IPDES) E-Permitting System on April 9, 2024, and can be submitted starting May 1, 2024. Applications should be submitted using the E-Permitting System, however, entities that received an approved electronic waiver can submit materials via mail or in person to a DEQ regional office between May 1 and June 1, 2024. 

Applications for the following special dredging locations must be submitted by June 1, 2024:  

  • Grimes, Elk, Mores (GEM) Creeks 
  • South Fork Clearwater River 
  • McCoy Creek 
  • Lolo Creek 
  • Orogrande Creek 
  • French Creek 
  • Moose Creek (12 miles east of Kelly Forks Work Center in the portion of T39N, R11E, Sections 4 and 9, T40N, R11E, Sections 29, 31, 32, 33, Clearwater County, Idaho)  

Applications for all other areas will be accepted and processed in accordance with the final 2024 SSDMGP. 

Contact Information 

For questions regarding the permit or eligibility for the Notice of Intent application, contact Angela Anderson at angela.anderson@deq.idaho.gov or (208) 373-0560. For technical questions regarding the E-Permitting System and application access, contact Shanda Lowder at Shanda.Lowder@deq.idaho.gov or (208) 373-0136. 

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