Published: August 18, 2020 |

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State officials announced Friday that construction can begin on an underground mining project north of White Sulphur Springs that conservationists worry will harm the Smith River.

Tintina Montana Inc., owned by the Australian mining company Sandfire Resources Inc., can begin the first phase of construction on the Black Butte Copper Project, a controversial underground copper mine approved for the Little Belt mountains.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality issued a final permit to the company Friday, allowing it to proceed, according to a news release.

“This is our final permit,” said Rebecca Harbage, a DEQ spokesperson. “It comes after a very long and stringent environmental review process.”

The first phase of the project involves road building and staging areas for construction materials and equipment. Harbage said the operating permit only authorizes site preparation. The company will need to post another bond to actually mine.

Tintina posted an approximately $4.6 million bond to cover the project’s first phase. The DEQ is working toward calculating an appropriate bond covering reclamation costs, which the company will need to post before mining.

Before mining, Tintina must provide the DEQ with detailed designs for the project and obtain additional permits from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The permits are needed to address the flow of nearby Coon Creek during mining operations, according to Harbage.

Nancy Schlepp, a spokesperson for Tintina, said work will begin Monday. She estimated the initial phase would take up to six months, and full construction on the mine would take about two years.

“We are pleased with the really thorough job that the Montana DEQ has done on this project,” she said.

Schlepp said Tintina has worked to address concerns through a number of technological breakthroughs.

The company is storing half of the mine’s tailings in a separated facility double-lined with cement to prevent contamination, she said. The other half of the tailings will be put in the ground.

In addition, water that is used in the underground mine will be treated and added back to the groundwater, and all entrances into the mine will be closed off, according to Schlepp. She estimated ore extraction would take 11 to 15 years, and reclamation would take three years.

Mining activity would take place about 20 miles upstream from the confluence of the Smith River and Sheep Creek.

Colin Cooney, the Montana field coordinator for Trout Unlimited, said Sheep Creek is a critical trout fishery and tributary to the Smith River. The river contributes about $10 million annually to the state’s economy, he said.

“I don’t believe the company or the DEQ have thoroughly proved that the project is not going to harm Sheep Creek,” Cooney said. “Anything that affects that tributary is going to affect the Smith.”

Trout Unlimited was among several conservation groups that sued the DEQ and Tintina over the Black Butte project this June. The groups, represented by Earthjustice, claim the environmental impacts of the project weren’t sufficiently considered before its approval.

According to the complaint filed by Earthjustice, Tintina’s proposed method for storing tailings in an above-ground facility hasn’t been tested before, and frequent exposure to oxygen and water could compromise the structural integrity of the facility.

Additionally, Tintina’s water treatment may not sufficiently mitigate the release of nitrogen into Sheep Creek, the complaint says. Excessive nitrates can cause algae blooms, harming fish populations.

Schlepp said Tintina addressed every possible environmental impact. The project, she said, will be an economic driver that will benefit those living nearby.

Schlepp anticipated the litigation will be slow. Judges haven’t yet set any dates for hearings, she said.

Source: Bozeman Daily Chronicle

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