Federal Court Clears Continued Construction of Idaho Antimony Gold Mine

BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho on June 2 denied a motion for preliminary injunction that sought to halt construction of the Stibnite Gold Project.

The decision keeps the project on track to create a domestic supply of antimony, a mineral listed as critical to national defense. The Stibnite project will produce antimony for munitions, military-grade antimony trisulfide, lead-acid batteries used in military vehicles, advanced sensor and radar materials, and flame retardants.

Per the Justice Department release, the United States has historically depended on foreign sources, with China as the largest supplier. China has restricted exports, depleting the National Defense Stockpile.

The ruling changes the project's status from litigation-blocked to construction-allowed. Construction can continue immediately following the June 2 order. Prior to the decision, the preliminary injunction motion had kept parts of the project in legal limbo.

Downstream, the operator can now advance site preparation, infrastructure development and mineral processing facilities on the timeline required to replenish the National Defense Stockpile. The Defense Department and other agencies that draw on the stockpile for munitions and radar systems no longer face further court-induced delays in securing a domestic antimony supply chain.

Congress and the executive branch must now determine acquisition volumes and delivery schedules from the new domestic source once production begins.

This is the latest federal action to secure critical minerals supply after years of documented reliance on Chinese exports. The Justice Department secured the court motion on behalf of the project, which the department described as critical to national defense.