Hecla representatives met with commissioners

Representatives of Hecla Mining met with the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners Wednesday afternoon. The company’s vice president for external affairs, Luke Russell, and operations manager, Doug Stiles, told the commissioners the company considers Rock Creek Mine the future of the 124-year-old mining company.

“We consider Rock Creek to be a potential cornerstone asset,” Russell said. “We anticipate the mine having a 40 to 50 year life span. It is the future of Hecla.”

Russell said the company’s long history provides a unique perspective. He said the company is committed to getting the Rock Creek permitting process completed correctly, which means it could be a slow process, but one that will be in the long-term best interests of the mine, the company and the community.

“We’re going to be patient, but persistent,” he said. “We need to get it right for the long-term benefit of the community.”

Russell stressed Hecla’s commitment to the community as well as to the mine.

“We are excited to be a part of northwest Montana,” he said. “We want to be a part of these communities, of Libby and Troy and Noxon. We hope to be here for 50 years.”

Russell said Hecla has been operating the Greens Creek Mine in Alaska, which sits partially inside a National Monument and borders a national forest. The company’s experience dealing with salmon and brown bear populations on that project, he said, bode well for environmental concerns associated with grizzly bear and bull trout conservation issues at Rock Creek.

Russell estimated the Rock Creek Mine could possibly begin exploration and construction as early as 2017. He anticipated the release of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement by the end of this year, then allowed for another year in the comment/objection period prior to the Record of Decision by the end of 2016. Once the permits are issued from there, the company can begin the exploration work to confirm the value of the ore body and firm up the environmental data.

“We really need to get in there and do the exploration,” Russell said.

Stiles, who made the transition from Revett to Hecla, will be based in Libby and oversee the final permitting of the Rock Creek Mine as well as the closure and reclamation of the Troy Mine, which was placed in care and maintenance status by Revett earlier this year. Hecla announced they would move to close and reclaim the mine shortly after the announcement of the acquisition of Revett.

“The economics just weren’t there to keep the mine going,” Russell said.

Stiles said as much local labor as possible would be used in the Troy Mine reclamation process.

“We’re going to get as many local contractors and local folks on the project as possible,” he said.

Reclamation of the Troy Mine also presents the company with an opportunity, Russell said.

“This gives us a chance to show folks what modern reclamation can do to help reclaim wildlife habitat,” Russell said.

The commissioners thanked Russell and Stiles, and offered them any assistance they could provide with the permitting process.