# Idaho S 1170: ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY – Repeals and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding ore processing by cyanidation. Idaho S 1170, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY – Repeals and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding ore processing by cyanidation., is a 2025 regular legislative session Senate bill sponsored by STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE; status signed, last action 2025-04-03 (Signed by Governor on 03/31/25 Session Law Chapter 228 Effective: 03/31/2025; 03/31/2025 IDAPA Sunset Clause - SECTION 3) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1170-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Idaho S 1170 - State: Idaho - Session: 2025 regular legislative session - Title: ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY – Repeals and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding ore processing by cyanidation. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-12 - Last action: 2025-04-03, Signed by Governor on 03/31/25 Session Law Chapter 228 Effective: 03/31/2025; 03/31/2025 IDAPA Sunset Clause - SECTION 3 - Sponsor: STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (91 yes, 12 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Residents get mining permit comment rights: benefit, low. DEQ must publish permit notices in a newspaper for two consecutive weeks. Draft permits include a fact sheet and a 60-day written comment period starting with the initial notice. DEQ must hold a public meeting within 30 days after notice. Only written comments received during the comment period mus… - Water protections for cyanide ore processing: benefit, low. Covered facilities that process ore with cyanide must use engineering-based controls to prevent pollution that harms Idaho waters. Applications must include pollution-control plans and surface-water and groundwater monitoring, with compliance points and early-warning limits. Monitoring need not rep… - Mine operators must secure closure funding: cost, low. New or materially changed cyanide ore-processing facilities need a DEQ permit before construction, operation, or closure. DEQ must approve a permanent closure plan before issuing the permit. Operators must provide required financial security before construction or operation begins. Closure plans an… - Mining applicants pay state permit costs: cost, low. Cyanide ore-processing permit applicants must agree to pay DEQ's actual permitting costs. The agreement is required before a pre-application conference or submission of a preliminary design report. Costs for other DEQ services are included only with the applicant's agreement. Unpaid required charge… - Mining permit deadlines and construction limits: mixed, low. DEQ has 30 days to check application paperwork and 60 days after that notice to check technical completeness. A permit application is deemed approved if DEQ issues no decision within 180 days of receiving it. DEQ and applicants can agree to pauses or extensions within statutory limits. Review is li… - Mining rules preserve some older exemptions: mixed, low. The law replaces Idaho's prior cyanide ore-processing statute with a standalone permit system. Facilities permitted before July 1, 2005, stay under laws and rules in effect June 30, 2005. Material changes after June 30, 2005, follow the new requirements. Closure or reclamation is not a material cha… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE - Cosponsor: Judy Boyle (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Phil Hart (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-27 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 61 | 8 | | | 2025-03-19 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 30 | 4 | | ## Actions (16) - 2025-04-03: Signed by Governor on 03/31/25 Session Law Chapter 228 Effective: 03/31/2025; 03/31/2025 IDAPA Sunset Clause - SECTION 3 - 2025-03-31: Reported delivered to Governor at 10:05 a.m. on 03/31/25 - 2025-03-31: Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor - 2025-03-28: Received from Senate; Signed by Speaker; Returned to Senate (House) - 2025-03-28: Reported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of Speaker (Senate) - 2025-03-28: Returned From House Passed; referred to enrolling (Senate) - 2025-03-27: Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 61-8-1 (House) - 2025-03-26: Read second time; Filed for Third Reading (House) - 2025-03-25: Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading (House) - 2025-03-20: Read First Time, Referred to Resources & Conservation (House) - 2025-03-20: Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading (House) - 2025-03-19: Read third time in full – PASSED - 30-4-1 (Senate) - 2025-03-18: Read second time; filed for Third Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading (Senate) - 2025-03-13: Reported Printed; referred to Resources & Environment (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Introduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing (Senate) ## Bill text - Bill Text: [PDF](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1170.pdf) ## Related bills - H 0253: PUBLIC RECORDS – Amends existing law to provide additional time to respond to requests for public records from nonresidents and to allow a different fee schedu… (signed) - S 1181: PUBLIC DEFENSE – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the Office of the State Public Defender and indigent public defense in this state. (signed) - H 0148: CONSTITUTIONAL DEFENSE COUNCIL – Adds to existing law to provide assistance to individuals litigating against the federal government. (signed) - S 1066: IDENTITY THEFT – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding disclosure of breach of personally identifiable information and to require that agencies, i… (failed) - S 1219: APPROPRIATIONS – STATE TAX COMMISSION – Relates to the appropriation to the State Tax Commission for fiscal year 2026. (signed) - S 1142: EDUCATION – Amends and repeals existing law to transfer funds from the Empowering Parents Grant Program Fund to the General Fund and to repeal the Empowering P… (signed) ## Sources - [Bill Text (PDF)](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1170.pdf) ## Related - [H 0253: PUBLIC RECORDS – Amends existing law to provide additional time to respond to r…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-H0253-2025) - [S 1181: PUBLIC DEFENSE – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the Office…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1181-2025) - [H 0148: CONSTITUTIONAL DEFENSE COUNCIL – Adds to existing law to provide assistance to…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-H0148-2025) - [S 1066: IDENTITY THEFT – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding disclosure…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1066-2025) - [S 1219: APPROPRIATIONS – STATE TAX COMMISSION – Relates to the appropriation to the Sta…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1219-2025) - [S 1142: EDUCATION – Amends and repeals existing law to transfer funds from the Empoweri…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1142-2025) - [Idaho bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/idaho/bills) - [Idaho state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/idaho) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ID-S1170-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).