The groups argue that the mine would jeopardize public health and clean water, harm threatened plants and animals, and permanently scar public lands.

The lawsuit against the Stibnite project asks the U.S. District Court of Idaho to invalidate its federal approvals for the mine and bar it from moving forward. The other environmental groups involved are Save the South Fork Salmon, Idaho Rivers United, Earthworks and American Rivers.

Local and national conservation groups are suing the U.S. Forest Service for approving the reopening of the Stibnite mine earlier this year, a gold and antimony mining project in central Idaho.