Montana Mining:

PERPETUAL Pollution and Taxpayer Expense

• More than $20 million in public funds have been spent treating perpetually polluted water at the Zortman/Landusky mines. Still more money is needed.
• Neighbors of the Kendall mine have lost cattle, and had to drill new wells, and haul water because the mine has polluted their water.
• The leach pads at the Beal Mountain mine have turned into a perpetually polluting toxic soup running into nearby trout streams. As is typical, the company’s reclamation bond didn’t come close to paying for treatment. Who’s on the hook? Taxpayers, that’s who.

And the Problem Continues . . .

• Many argue that the examples above, and others like them, are the mining industry’s sins of the past and that things are done differently now. Not so fast . . .
• The Golden Sunlight mine near Whitehall will require treatment for perpetual water pollution. The bond for this mine is at least $50 million short of what is needed and presents a huge taxpayer liability.
• A permit is being considered right now by the State for the Rock Creek mine next to and underneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area. And guess what. This new permit would allow the Rock Creek mine to perpetually pollute the Clark Fork River.
  

The New Rule

The proposal before the Board says that DEQ may not issue a new mining permit unless the mining company demonstrates that no treatment of water will be required after the mine completes its reclamation.  In other words: no more perpetual pollution.  Once a mine is reclaimed, it can no longer pollute Montana’s water. That puts the burden where it belongs—on the mining company.

This rule is necessary because of the mining industry’s long history of failure to accurately predict and adequately bond for the long-term effects of metal mines.  Montana’s better mines, like the Stillwater mines south of Big Timber, could still have been permitted with this requirement in place. This new rule will just protect Montanans from irresponsible operations.

• For more information:  Read MEIC's 54-page report entitled  "Reclamation Bonding in Montana," by Stuart M. Levit and James R. Kuipers, P.E. The report made many critical recommendations for proposed changes in Montana's reclamation bonding requirements at the 2001 legislature.  [1.2 MB PDF]