Differing decisions on Montanore Mine

SANDPOINT — The U.S. Forest Service issued a record of decision Friday approving the Montanore Mine, but the Montana Department of Environmental Quality declined to grant full approval to the copper and silver mining proposal.

Kootenai National Forest Supervisor Christopher Savage said the federal record of decision on the Montanore proposal in northwestern Montana is supported by extensive studies and a great deal of work by the Forest Service and its contractor.

“There is still a lot of additional work that needs to be done to meet the various mitigation requirements, including the terms and conditions of the biological opinion,” Savage said in a statement, referring to efforts to minimize impacts to grizzly bear and bull trout.

Spokane-based Mines Management Inc. said the Montanore project boasts one of the largest silver-copper deposits containing mineralization of 230 million ounces of silver nearly 2 billion pounds of copper.

“We have crossed a goal line. The record of decision is the major approval to complete the final evaluation and development of the project contingent upon compliance with its conditions,” Mines Management CEO and Chairman Glenn Dobbs said in a statement.

Dobbs said many naysayers cast doubt on the project during the 11-year permitting process.

But some of those naysayers contend the contest is far from over.

“Montana DEQ would not issue a full permit for the mine. They only authorized the evaluation adit at this point,” Mary Costello of Save Our Cabinets said on Friday.

Moreover, Save Our Cabinets, Earthjustice and Defenders of Wildlife will likely appeal the federal record of decision.

Montana DEQ found that the development of the evaluation tunnel will result in insignificant changes to water quality, but held there remains too much uncertainty regarding impacts from full development of the mine.

There is concern that mine construction will cause dewatering in several creeks and groundwater models do not necessarily represent the most severe effects, which could violate standards protecting water quality, according to MDEQ’s record of decision.

“Our decision centers on our legal directive to protect high-quality waters in Montana, in this case the impacted streams in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness,” DEQ Director Tom Livers said in a statement.

Katherine O’Brien of Earthjustice in Montana called the differing decisions “unusual.”

“I am not aware of any other instance in which a state has found that approving a complete mine project would violate state law and the federal agency has approved it nonetheless,” O’Brien said on Friday.

Montana DEQ speculates that a clearer picture may form through the development of the evaluation adit, but O’Brien said she is skeptical due to the amount of time and effort that has already been devoted to groundwater modeling.

“The model was vetted by the agencies and improved upon. The best model that they could develop revealed that the project would degrade outstanding resource waters,” O’Brien said.

Save Our Cabinets and Earthjustice added that the development of the evaluation shaft in and of itself will be harmful to bull trout because of sedimentation.

“Why go forward with any phase of the mine if, ultimately, they can’t do the full mine without causing these drastic drawdowns of wilderness rivers and streams?” Costello questioned.

Mines Management referred media inquiries to company President Douglas Dobbs, who did not return a message seeking comment on Friday.