Draft SEIS on Rock Creek released

SANDPOINT — A draft supplemental environmental impact statement on the proposed Rock Creek Mine in northwestern Montana is being released by the U.S. Forest Service.

The document comes six years after a U.S. District Court judge remanded a record of decision and a final EIS back to the agency because inadequate information about bull trout habitat and populations were relied upon during the analysis of the copper and silver mining proposal. Judge Donald Malloy also found that the Forest Service didn’t clearly require the mine’s developer to implement sedimentation-reduction measures during initial construction of the project.

Kootenai National Forest’s release of the draft supplemental EIS opens a 45-day public comment period.

“It hits the federal register tomorrow and that will start the 45-day comment period. We’re excited to hit that milestone,” said Luke Russell, vice president of external affairs for Hecla Mining Co., which is developing the project.

Russell added that the company plans to hold town meetings in March. The Forest Service will also conduct meetings on the proposal.

“There will be a lot of opportunities for people to get reacquainted with the project and provide their comments to the Forest Service,” Russell said.

The Rock Creek Alliance said it and other groups opposed to the mine will request a time extension for the comment period due to enormous public interest and the size of the 990-page draft supplemental EIS.

“There’s a lot of people that have commented in the past and would like the opportunity to give substantive comments, but they need time to read through and digest this document,” said Mary Costello of the Rock Creek Alliance.

If a time-extension request is not granted, the deadline to comment on the document is April 4. Written comments can be submitted to Michael Huffine, Kootenai National Forest, 31374 U.S. Highway 2, Libby, MT. 59923-3022 or emailed to rockcreekmine@fs.fed.us.