Supporters rally for Montanore

Work, not welfare.

Work, not welfare.

Jobs, not handouts.

Jobs, not handouts.

It was the battle cry echoed many times

last week at the Montanore Positive Action Committee rally at

Fireman’s Park. About 450 people came to show their support for the

Montanore Mine Project.

“We do not need to be dependent on

handouts to have jobs in Libby, Montana,” Pat Pezzelle said as he

rallied the crowd.

Community members, public officials,

business owners and Mines Management representatives all spoke

about what the mine could do for Libby.

“We have a golden opportunity 20 miles

south of here,” Charlotte Woods said.

Woods is one of several long-time

supporters of the mine near Libby Creek. She came to the rally with

a heart-shaped sign proclaiming her support for the mine.

Woods used the sign to rally for

Noranda Minerals Corp. when the company was looking to develop the

mine in the 1980s and 1990s. Thursday Noranda had been replaced on

the sign with Montanore.

She urged the crowd to contact

government officials and agencies to let them know Libby wants the

mine now.

“It’s time to take off the gloves and

tell these people we need this mine — this year,” she said. “We

need to bug these guys. They’ve been bugging us long enough.”

Noranda Minerals Corp. first discovered

mineral deposits in the Libby Creek area in 1983. In 1993, Noranda

had all the necessary permits to proceed, but walked away from the

project in 2002.

Mines Management took over and the

National Environmental Policy Act process started over along with

the development of an Environmental Impact Statement. The Kootenai

National Forest must also approve the operation.

The project went through a public

comment period in 2009 on the draft EIS. The draft EIS is expected

to be completed this spring, but is still under review. A final EIS

could be approved next year if the process continues.

Mines Management representatives say

once the mine opens it could create 250 permanent jobs and another

450 temporary jobs.

Erick Klepfer with Mines Management

said the company is eager to get the mine open and start providing

jobs. He thanked the crowd.

“The outpouring of support by this

community is unprecedented,” he said.

Mayor Doug Roll said he wants a

different future for Libby. He said he’s tired of seeing jobs being

lost to lawsuits and adding wilderness areas. He said he wouldn’t

tolerate the mine stalling any longer.

“It’s bull,” he said.

Roll issued a challenge to the crowd to

voice their support for the mine. He asked the crowd if they knew

why their government representatives weren’t in attendance at the

rally.

“I tell you where they are,” he said.

“They’re back in D.C. dealing with healthcare and budget deficits

and Rome just keeps burning.”

“We must make some noise today so those

folks back in Washington, D.C. hear us,” he said.

Congressman Denny Rehberg sent a letter

to the rally, which was read by his representative. Gov. Brian

Schweitzer and Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus were also invited to

attend the rally, but did not respond, according to the rally’s

organizing committee.

Lincoln County Commissioner Tony Berget

said families have been split apart by 20.5 percent unemployment

rate in the county. Folks are being forced to cut firewood for a

job or work in the North Dakota oil fields, he noted.

“It’s hard for all of us to watch this

disaster unfold when there is the promise of 200 jobs (at the

mine).”

Elaine Lundin knows what it’s like to

have her family torn apart for jobs. Both her husband and

18-year-old son are working in the North Dakota oil fields. She has

a logging truck sitting in her yard unused.

The mine is ready and should open, she

told the crowd.

“We don’t have shovel-ready jobs,” she

said. “We have bulldozer-ready jobs.”