Well it’s game on for Sheep Creek and the Smith River, as Tintina Resources, majority owned by Sandfire mining, has filed for a permit to construct the Black Butte Copper Mine north of White Sulphur Springs, Montana.
From the AFFTA press release just out –
Today Tintina Resources, an Australian-majority-owned company, filed with the the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for a Mine Operating Permit. The permit is for the proposed Black Butte Copper Mine, located 20 miles north of White Sulphur Springs, Montana.
The site is near Sheep Creek, the headwaters of the famed Smith River. The same Smith, recent economic numbers show, that yields an annual economic contribution of $9,972,399 to Montana’s economy. These same numbers show sportfishing on the Smith River supports 107 jobs in the state, and nearly three million in salaries, wages, and proprietary income. The total spending by residents and non-residents combined for fishing in the stream section of the Smith River equals $6,973,706…
The filing of course triggers a review process by Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), outlined nicely by Derf Johnson of the MEIC on 14 December as follows –
…Here is a general description of the timeline, and potential deadlines, for DEQ’s review of the application:
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Once the application materials are submitted, DEQ will have 90 days to conduct a “completeness determination,” and either approve the application for “completeness” or issue a “deficiency notice” if it believes that there are additional materials that must be included.
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If DEQ issues a “deficiency notice,” Tintina/Sandfire will have an unlimited amount of time in which to respond. Once they do respond, DEQ will have 30 days to review the response to the deficiency notice.
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Once DEQ deems the application materials to be “complete,” it will issue a draft permit, and begin preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) under the Montana Environmental Policy Act.
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The EIS process will allow for public review and comment, as well as public hearing(s).
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The EIS process cannot last longer than one year, at which point DEQ must make a final decision on whether to approve the permit…
There will plenty of opportunities to provide input along the way as the process will take some time; Montanans will likely need some help from around the country on this one.
More to come. Dammit.
