Smith River Outfitters Speak Out

by MTUvolunteer

In an editorial, a group of Smith River outfitters express their concerns about the proposed Black Butte copper mine, what it could do to their business on the Smith River, and the likely inability of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to prevent a disaster if they approve the mining permit.

Longtime Smith River outfitters Mike Geary owns Lewis and Clark Expeditions; John Herzer and Terri Raugland own Blackfoot River Outfitters; Brandon Bodecker owns PRO Outfitters; and Joe Sowerby owns Montana Flyfishing Connection.

WSJ article highlights repeated mine failures

by MTUvolunteer

History is full of mining leaks, spills and downright disasters that have at least impaired and at most wreaked havoc on the streams, wildlife and landscapes around them. Far, far fewer are the stories of “harmless” mines, maybe because they don’t exist.

The problem is that mines bring hazardous material from underground – where they’re safely locked away – to the surface where the companies and taxpayers then have to deal with them. At that point, the wastes are ticking time bombs, waiting to go off when it’s least expected.

Department of Environmental Quality First Deficiency

by MTUvolunteer

On March 14, 2016, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality submitted their first deficiency notice on Tintina’s Mine Operating Permit application.

Tom Livers, DEQ Director said, “The most significant pieces are the couple of pieces where they’re still working on it so we don’t have it in the application they submitted. All the geochemistry work and the ground water model. Both of those are critical pieces for us to have to be able to truly assess impacts.”

Once DEQ receives a response, the review period is only 30 days, as opposed to 90 days for the initial review. The shorter window for review causes concern for DEQ.

“It’s a little tighter, that’s why it’s a little concerning for us. We’ve got these big missing pieces. We won’t have much time once we get those pieces in, in any subsequent cycles to look at them,” Livers said.

Read the March 15 KTVH article on the deficiency findings or the technical deficiency notice released by the DEQ.

Expert Review of Tintina’s Mine Operating Permit

by MTUvolunteer

Montana Trout Unlimited presents a review of the mine permit application Tintina Resources submitted December 15, 2015 to the Department of Environmental Quality . The review was conducted by outside professional consultants Montana TU retained.

The consultants’ findings uncovered significant shortcomings in items such as operation descriptions as well as data completeness and quality for items such as water rights, groundwater characterization, fisheries, degradation potential of cemented paste tailings and mine discharge.
Please click on the links following each experts name and position, for their complete review:

These consultants were further advised by Dave Chambers, PhD, president, CSP2, geophysicist, Bozeman, Montana.

For further questions please contact David Brooks, [email protected], or Colin Cooney, [email protected]

Tintina’s 50+ year mine plan

by MTUvolunteer

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The red circle is the current Black Butte project. All of the other colored areas are federal mine claims or private leases owned by the company. You can see what their real plan is, turn this area into a 50+ year mining district right by the Smith River.