Montanore Mine plays waiting game on permits

A sort of eerie silence hovers in the air at the Montanore Mine site. Underground mining trucks are lined up waiting for drivers and operators. Little activity is found in an exploration adit while a nearby $1.2 million water treatment plant hums at a steady pace. A handful of employees complete various tasks to maintain the site.

Questions naturally come to mind while coming upon such a scene. Will the Montanore Mine ever see full build-out? Will the nearby communities of Libby and Troy one day benefit with the addition of hundreds of jobs? If the mine makes it through the permitting process, how many more years would it be held up in litigation?

“I’m confident we’re going to get this project permitted,” said Glenn Dobbs, president and chief executive officer of Mines Management. “I’m not confident that we’re going to get it permitted quickly. The only thing holding us back are the final few steps with permitting.”

Dobbs urged community leaders and residents during a luncheon early last week to escalate their involvement by contacting public officials.

“I believe it’s going to require a concerted effort from the community to let the Forest Service, the EPA and the congressional delegation know how they feel,” Dobbs said following a presentation that included an explanation of the complex permitting process.

During a conference call with Montana media on Friday morning, Sen. Jon Tester was asked for his position on the mine proposal.

“I’ll be straight and frank with you, I need to get up to speed on this … we’ll take a peek at it,” Tester told The Western News. “One of the good things about these calls is it brings issues up that’s not on our radar screen and we’ll see what we can find out about it.”

The story of a proposed silver and copper mine in this particular spot dates back more than a quarter-century. Mineral deposits were first discovered in 1983 and by the end of the decade, Noranda Minerals Corp., obtained an exploration license from the state. In 1993, Noranda had all the necessary permits in place.

But in 2002, Noranda walked away from the project. A hard-rock operating permit and a pollutant discharge elimination system permit issued through the state survived Noranda and were absorbed by Mines Management when it took over.

The National Environmental Policy Act process started over, however, along with the development of an updated Environmental Impact Statement. Kootenai National Forest also must approve a plan of operations.

Dobbs said the mine has seen strong support from local and state leaders, including Gov. Brian Schweitzer. On the other end of the spectrum, environmental groups have long cried foul with charges of groundwater and air pollution, destruction of natural resources and threats to wildlife such as grizzly bears and bull trout.

“We’ve been working through the process with the companies’ proposal for several years,” said Paul Bradford, Kootenai National Forest supervisor. “We’re coming to the stage of the process where we will make a decision on their proposal.”

Last year, the project went through a public comment period on the completed draft EIS. Bradford said that comment period was extended at the urging of various groups and individuals, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“We’re working to try to address those comments,” Bradford said. “The question is whether or not to do a supplemental draft EIS.”

The issuance of a supplemental draft EIS would add more wait time.

“The EPA comments have forced us into a different posture right now,” Dobbs said. “They told the Forest Service that they want additional studies done which would result in the delay of another year.”

Bradford estimated a delay of at least six months and said a key concern is to make sure a Record of Decision withstands lawsuits.

“Typically, these mining projects are very controversial and subject to litigation,” Bradford said. “The Rock Creek decision that we made a few years back has been litigated and is still under litigation. … That’s why we’re doing the environmental analysis as thoroughly as we can so we can make the best possible decision and prepare to stand by it.”

Bradford said complex issues surround the project such as the location of the tailings impoundment and transmission line.

The EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressed “substantial concern,” Bradford said, on using Little Cherry Creek for the tailings impoundment. Support appears to be growing for a Poorman Creek alternative.

The transmission line corridor is another one of those issues that could lead to a supplemental draft EIS. Dobbs said the state has been working on their choice for two years.

Finally, the grizzly bear habitat issue has been creating yet another challenge. With little information on the grizzly bear population through U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Dobbs said Mines Management contracted with the University of Washington to do a study of its own.

Sampling an area that represents 30 percent of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, the study team used dogs trained to “sniff out bear poop” – as Dobbs put it. Approximately 1,600 samples were taken and results are expected in the coming weeks.

From bear scat, DNA testing can be done to reveal information such as species (grizzly or black bear), sex, health and age.

As of last week, Dobbs said direct costs involved with permitting stood at $3.2 million. Related costs to the permitting add another $4 million. And since acquired in 2002, Mines Management has spent close to $40 million on the project, which is in addition to the $116 million spent by Noranda.

The job impact on the Libby area would be significant – especially for a region of the state with the highest unemployment rate. Dobbs said that at the initial build-out, an estimated 500 to 600 jobs would be created with $450 million to spend. When operating, the mine would employ at estimated 300 workers.

In addition, the economic impact to Libby would be substantial with more spendable money, more jobs created and new avenues for business growth.

Estimates predict a mine life of 20-plus years and Dobbs believes a more realistic figure would be 30 to 35 years.

Locals continue to contemplate what they can do to help push along the process. Back in 2005, several Libby and Troy residents rode a chartered bus to Helena to meet with Schweitzer as well as Richard Opper, director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. In addition, a proclamation from the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners urged action while outlining benefits to the region.

During last week’s get-together, the same idea resurfaced and another organized trip to Helena could be in the works. Others vowed to write letters with hopes that their messages can make a difference.

Meanwhile, the waiting continues.