Public Comment wanted for Montanore Project
Open House scheduled in Libby for August 16, 2005
July 21, 2005
The Kootenai National Forest (KNF) and Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are requesting public comments on a Proposed Action to permit the Montanore silver/copper mine project south of Libby. The project involves an ore body underneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, and includes mining operations located just outside the wilderness boundary by Mines Management Inc.
Montanore’s project permit area involves about 3,000 acres of National Forest land and about 200 acres of private land approximately 18 miles south of Libby on the east side of the Cabinet Mountains. Montanore proposes construction of the mine mill facilities, access roads, tailing disposal impoundment and power transmission line. The proposed Plan of Operations includes the mine facilities, mine operation and reclamation.
The proposed action would begin in 2007 and extend over approximately 15 years life of the facility. The mine would operate on three shifts/day, seven days a week, on a year-long schedule. An estimated 7 millon tons of ore would be produced annually from the mine. The company expects to employ approximately 450 people when at full production, with an annual payroll of approximately $12 million expected for full production periods.
The company has submitted an application for the project, which includes development and operation of a surface mill in the upper Ramsey Creek drainage. Two mine adits are proposed adjacent to the Ramsey Creek mill site to provide access to the ore body. The company also proposes construction and use of two ventilation portals on private land in the upper Libby Creek and upper Rock Creek drainages near Rock Lake. A 990-acre tailings impoundment is proposed in the Little Cherry Creek drainage.
Access to the mine and all surface facilities would be via U.S. Highway 2 and the Bear Creek road.
The proposed plan includes the construction of a 230-kilovolt electric transmission line from Sedlak Park in Pleasant Valley along U.S. Highway 2, then routed up Miller Creek and Ramsey Creek drainages to the project site.
The mine operations involve crushing ore underground and conveying it to the surface mill. From there the ore would be processed by a flotation process at the surface mill. Tailings would be transported by pipeline to a tailings disposal impoundment. Processed silver and copper concentrate from the mill would be trucked to Libby, then rail transported to an out-of-state smeltering facility.
Issues to be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) include impacts on the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, potential impacts to Threatened & Endangered wildlife species including grizzly bear and bull trout, water quality, social and economic impacts on local communities, and cumulative effects of this mine and other area mining projects.
A draft EIS will be prepared and scheduled for release in May, 2006. The final EIS is expected in January 2007. Public comment will be accepted until September 15, 2005. To be considered, comments must include the name, address, telephone number and organization represented; the name of the project for the comments; and specific issues and supporting reasons that should be considered. Written comments should be submitted to:
Bob Castaneda, Forest Supervisor
Montanore Project
Kootenai National Forest
1101 U.S. Hwy 2 West
Libby, MT 59923
Comments may also be e-mailed to r1_montanore@fs.fed.us. All e-mailed comments must contain the name of commenter, postal service mailing address and date of comment. Comments sent as an e-mail message should be sent as an attachment to the message. A copy on computer-generated disc should accompany all comments over one page in length. Names and addresses of commenters will be available for public inspection along with the comments. Anonymous comments will be accepted and considered, however may not have standing to appeal the subsequent decision.
There will be three open house informational and scoping meetings about this project, two in Montana and one in Idaho.
Libby: August 16, 2005, 7-9 pm, Ponderosa Room, Libby City Hall
Trout Creek: August 17, 2005, 7-9 pm, Cabinet Ranger Station
Bonners Ferry, Idaho: August 18, 2005, 7-9 pm, Bonners Ferry Ranger Station
Copies of the documents are available for review at the Kootenai National Forest Supervisor’s Office, the DEQ in Helena, and public libraries in Libby and Thompson Falls. For more information, contact Bobbie Lacklen, Canoe Gulch Ranger Station in Libby, 406-293-7773, e-mail: blacklen@fs.fed.us
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