Conservation group sues federal government over delayed protections for rare toad and fish near Beatty gold mines

What happened

The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The group says officials unlawfully delayed a decision on protecting two imperiled species that could be harmed by a proposed gold mine and other mines planned along the Amargosa River in Nye County.

The species are the Amargosa toad and a small fish called the Oasis Valley speckled dace. According to the Review-Journal, both live only in spring-fed wetlands near Beatty, about 115 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The legal claim

A missed federal deadline

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said last year that protections under the Endangered Species Act may be warranted for the two species. The lawsuit alleges the agency has since missed its 12-month deadline to reach a final decision, the Review-Journal reported.

The complaint ties the threat to water. It says "loss of habitat from groundwater pumping for nearby gold mines" is among the pressures "pushing these animals toward extinction." The Interior Department, which oversees the Fish and Wildlife Service, declined to comment when the Review-Journal reached it Tuesday.

What the conservation group says

Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement that time is running short to finalize protections. "Endangered Species Act protections are urgently needed for these species before AngloGold's mines suck dry the water they need for survival," Donnelly said, according to the Review-Journal.

The mining projects near Beatty

North Bullfrog Mine nears approval

AngloGold Ashanti, a multinational mining company originally from South Africa, is close to final approval from the Bureau of Land Management for its North Bullfrog Mine, the Review-Journal reported. The company has already changed its operation plan to cut water consumption by two-thirds in response to community concerns.

Company spokesman Rick Curtsinger said the Fish and Wildlife Service finding last year did not account for the smaller water footprint of the 6,300-acre mine. Earlier this year, a company executive said Amargosa toad populations would remain intact. In a statement, Curtsinger said the company is committed to working with regulators and neighboring communities on a project bringing jobs, tax revenue and community benefit.

More gold, more proposals

The company is also looking at another deposit through its Arthur exploration project. The Center for Biological Diversity wrote that it could hold 10 times the gold-bearing deposits of the North Bullfrog Mine. AngloGold Ashanti says it has identified at least 6.1 million ounces of gold in total, more than the United States produces in any single year.

According to the lawsuit, companies have proposed six other gold mines in the immediate area. Readers following other state water issues can find more coverage in our water section.

Jobs, taxes and conservation

A University of Nevada, Reno, analysis found the North Bullfrog Mine would create hundreds of jobs at its peak, the Review-Journal reported. The same analysis said it would contribute $1.4 million in county taxes and $5.6 million in state taxes each year.

The Amargosa toad has been considered for federal protections before. The Review-Journal reported that Beatty embraced a conservation ethic that helped the toad's numbers rise. For years, the Nature Conservancy has bought several ranches and turned them into nature preserves to protect water rights along the river.

What to watch next

• Whether the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issues its overdue final decision on Endangered Species Act protections for the Amargosa toad and Oasis Valley speckled dace.
• The Bureau of Land Management's final approval decision on AngloGold Ashanti's North Bullfrog Mine.
• How the federal government responds to the Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit.
• The status of the Arthur exploration project and the six other gold mines the lawsuit says have been proposed nearby.