E
Eric Simandl
Guest
1) Montana? Mark Fuhrman! Let's drill into him instead!
2) Montana? Dental floss and pygmy ponies. Have a cuppa coffee and give
my foot a push.
3) Montana? Real Great Lakes outdoorsmen don't need no steenkin'
"outfitters". The water stays clean without paying them a dime.
4) Montana Wildhack. Billy Pilgrim has become unstuck in time.
Galantine wrote:
>
>
> I hope people who rely on the clean water for their income(outfitters) are opposing this.
>
> Forest Service gives go-ahead to Rock Creek mine
>
> By William L. Spence
> The Daily Inter Lake
>
> http://www.dailyinterlake.com/NewsEngine/SelectStory_AD.tpl?command=search&db=news.db&eqskud
>
> ata=99-804462-68
>
> Kootenai National Forest officials gave the go-ahead Friday to a hard-rock copper and silver
>
> mine near Noxon.
>
> The agency approved a two-phase development plan for Sterling Mining Co.'s proposed Rock
>
> Creek mine, which would be located adjacent to the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area.
>
> The mine itself would tunnel under a portion of the wilderness area. All processing,
>
> tailings, transportation and water treatment facilities would be built outside of the
>
> wilderness on about 482 acres, of which 140 acres is national forest land.
>
> The project faces a number of additional hurdles before it can break ground, though,
>
> including a three-month appeal period, uncertain economic conditions and potential
>
> litigation.
>
> "I believe this decision will be appealed again, and I believe litigation will be used as
>
> well," noted Kootenai Forest Supervisor Bob Castaneda during a press conference on Friday.
>
> A previous decision approving the mine was issued in 2001.
>
> However, that was appealed by the Western Mining Action Group, which represents six groups
>
> opposed to the project. A subsequent lawsuit prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to
>
> withdraw its biological opinion, which forced Castaneda to withdraw his approval.
>
> The federal agency reissued its opinion in May, once again concluding that the mine would
>
> not jeopardize grizzly bear, lynx or bull trout populations in the area.
>
> Castaneda said his role was to review Sterling's proposal and make sure it complies with
>
> various state and federal laws, such as the 1872 Mining Act, the Wilderness Act, the
>
> Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air and Clean Water acts.
>
> "If they can meet all those requirements, we can't deny approval," he said.
>
> Efforts to develop Rock Creek have been under way for at least 16 years.
>
> Sterling Mining Co. acquired the claim from ASARCO in 1999, together with the Troy Mine, for
>
> $20 million.
>
> At full production, the mine would excavate about 10,000 tons of material per day. Its
>
> expected operating life is 30 to 35 years; about 476 direct and indirect jobs would be
>
> created, with an annual payroll of about $13.5 million.
>
> Based on Friday's approval, Sterling must develop the mine in two phases: First building an
>
> evaluation adit, or tunnel, and then - if all goes well - constructing the main tunnel and
>
> facilities.
>
> In addition to telling the company more about the ore body, "the evaluation adit gives us
>
> information about ground water, geochemistry and other characteristics," Castaneda said.
>
> "We'll look at that and see if the information is consistent with the analysis we made
>
> regarding the effects of the mine. If it is, they can go to Phase II."
>
> Project Coordinator John McKay said Sterling will have to address a number of mitigation
>
> requirements before it can start Phase I, including posting a $2.3 million reclamation bond
>
> and fully funding two state fish and game positions - one for law enforcement and one for a
>
> grizzly-bear specialist.
>
> If the project moves to Phase II, he said, the reclamation bond will eventually reach $44
>
> million to $77 million, depending on how the company handles the water treatment.
>
> An additional $13 million bond would be required for wildlife mitigation, McKay said, and
>
> Sterling would have to purchase or obtain conservation easements on 2,450 acres of private
>
> land to provide habitat for grizzlies.
>
> However, several media representatives - particularly those from areas located downstream
>
> from Noxon - questioned whether the bond was adequate in case of catastrophic failures or
>
> unforeseen impacts.
>
> "We don't bond for catastrophic events," McKay said. "We bond for full reclamation, and we
>
> re-evaluate the amount periodically, as they build more."
>
> Castaneda said the mine will be required to meet state and federal water quality
>
> requirements, and to pay for monitoring programs to make sure it stays compliant.
>
> Noting that taxpayers were stuck with a $30 million clean-up bill when the reclamation bond
>
> for the Zortman-Landusky gold mine south of Malta proved inadequate, one reporter asked
>
> Castaneda why he thinks Rock Creek will be any different.
>
> "We learned from experience," he said.
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> You Rock! Your E-mail should, too. Visit Rock.com!
--
"If you don't do it this year, you'll be a year older when you do."
--Warren Miller
2) Montana? Dental floss and pygmy ponies. Have a cuppa coffee and give
my foot a push.
3) Montana? Real Great Lakes outdoorsmen don't need no steenkin'
"outfitters". The water stays clean without paying them a dime.
4) Montana Wildhack. Billy Pilgrim has become unstuck in time.
Galantine wrote:
>
>
> I hope people who rely on the clean water for their income(outfitters) are opposing this.
>
> Forest Service gives go-ahead to Rock Creek mine
>
> By William L. Spence
> The Daily Inter Lake
>
> http://www.dailyinterlake.com/NewsEngine/SelectStory_AD.tpl?command=search&db=news.db&eqskud
>
> ata=99-804462-68
>
> Kootenai National Forest officials gave the go-ahead Friday to a hard-rock copper and silver
>
> mine near Noxon.
>
> The agency approved a two-phase development plan for Sterling Mining Co.'s proposed Rock
>
> Creek mine, which would be located adjacent to the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area.
>
> The mine itself would tunnel under a portion of the wilderness area. All processing,
>
> tailings, transportation and water treatment facilities would be built outside of the
>
> wilderness on about 482 acres, of which 140 acres is national forest land.
>
> The project faces a number of additional hurdles before it can break ground, though,
>
> including a three-month appeal period, uncertain economic conditions and potential
>
> litigation.
>
> "I believe this decision will be appealed again, and I believe litigation will be used as
>
> well," noted Kootenai Forest Supervisor Bob Castaneda during a press conference on Friday.
>
> A previous decision approving the mine was issued in 2001.
>
> However, that was appealed by the Western Mining Action Group, which represents six groups
>
> opposed to the project. A subsequent lawsuit prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to
>
> withdraw its biological opinion, which forced Castaneda to withdraw his approval.
>
> The federal agency reissued its opinion in May, once again concluding that the mine would
>
> not jeopardize grizzly bear, lynx or bull trout populations in the area.
>
> Castaneda said his role was to review Sterling's proposal and make sure it complies with
>
> various state and federal laws, such as the 1872 Mining Act, the Wilderness Act, the
>
> Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air and Clean Water acts.
>
> "If they can meet all those requirements, we can't deny approval," he said.
>
> Efforts to develop Rock Creek have been under way for at least 16 years.
>
> Sterling Mining Co. acquired the claim from ASARCO in 1999, together with the Troy Mine, for
>
> $20 million.
>
> At full production, the mine would excavate about 10,000 tons of material per day. Its
>
> expected operating life is 30 to 35 years; about 476 direct and indirect jobs would be
>
> created, with an annual payroll of about $13.5 million.
>
> Based on Friday's approval, Sterling must develop the mine in two phases: First building an
>
> evaluation adit, or tunnel, and then - if all goes well - constructing the main tunnel and
>
> facilities.
>
> In addition to telling the company more about the ore body, "the evaluation adit gives us
>
> information about ground water, geochemistry and other characteristics," Castaneda said.
>
> "We'll look at that and see if the information is consistent with the analysis we made
>
> regarding the effects of the mine. If it is, they can go to Phase II."
>
> Project Coordinator John McKay said Sterling will have to address a number of mitigation
>
> requirements before it can start Phase I, including posting a $2.3 million reclamation bond
>
> and fully funding two state fish and game positions - one for law enforcement and one for a
>
> grizzly-bear specialist.
>
> If the project moves to Phase II, he said, the reclamation bond will eventually reach $44
>
> million to $77 million, depending on how the company handles the water treatment.
>
> An additional $13 million bond would be required for wildlife mitigation, McKay said, and
>
> Sterling would have to purchase or obtain conservation easements on 2,450 acres of private
>
> land to provide habitat for grizzlies.
>
> However, several media representatives - particularly those from areas located downstream
>
> from Noxon - questioned whether the bond was adequate in case of catastrophic failures or
>
> unforeseen impacts.
>
> "We don't bond for catastrophic events," McKay said. "We bond for full reclamation, and we
>
> re-evaluate the amount periodically, as they build more."
>
> Castaneda said the mine will be required to meet state and federal water quality
>
> requirements, and to pay for monitoring programs to make sure it stays compliant.
>
> Noting that taxpayers were stuck with a $30 million clean-up bill when the reclamation bond
>
> for the Zortman-Landusky gold mine south of Malta proved inadequate, one reporter asked
>
> Castaneda why he thinks Rock Creek will be any different.
>
> "We learned from experience," he said.
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> You Rock! Your E-mail should, too. Visit Rock.com!
--
"If you don't do it this year, you'll be a year older when you do."
--Warren Miller
