Save Our Cabinets was formed to educate the public about the impacts of the proposed Montanore mine.
Our mission is to protect wild lands, wildlife, and water quality in the Cabinet Mountains of northwestern Montana, especially the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area.

If you are interested in becoming a member or would like more 
information,  we can be reached at: 

Save Our Cabinets
P.O. Box 152
Heron, MT 59844
406-544-1494
info@saveourcabinets.org

The Montanore Mine
Map of Cabinets and Site of Mine

The proposed Montanore mine is an underground copper/silver project 18 miles south of Libby, Montana that would be constructed on lands in the Kootenai National Forest.  Similar to the proposed Rock Creek mine, Montanore would extract ore from beneath the mountains, meadows, and alpine lakes of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.  The project would include a discharge of untreated water from the mine cavity, significant impacts to three threatened species and their habitat, and the diversion of a perennial stream. Other elements of the project include a land application of mine wastewater and the creation of a mountain of tailings that will be contained behind a massive dam. Surface facilities also would include a milling facility and support structures.

Mine’s Management, Inc., of Spokane, WA is the company seeking a permit to construct and operate the mine. The U.S. Forest Service and Montana Department of Environmental Quality are the agencies charged with reviewing the mining company’s proposed operating plan and applications for permits. 

1) Dewatering

One of the most significant impacts of the Montanore mine is the diversion of ground water in the region of the mine into the mined out void. This alteration of the region’s hydrology would have serious consequences for alpine lakes and streams, including many inside the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. It would result in dewatering that would impact aquatic habitat of bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout and redband trout. We believe the permitting agencies should deny approvals for this mine based on its drastic alteration of water levels in area lakes and streams.

• Some of the wilderness waters impacted by dewatering would include Rock Lake, St. Paul Lake, the East Fork of Bull River, and potentially Libby Lakes. These are “Outstanding Resource Waters” and are afforded the highest level of protection possible. (Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DIES) summary page 28; DEIS Vol.2 page 429 (Libby Lakes))

• Dewatering would extend 2 miles in all directions from the mine void. This dewatering would intercept groundwater and divert it into the mine cavity. The dewatering would impact many fisheries both inside and outside the wilderness. (DEIS summary page 28)
   
• The East Fork of Bull River is the most important bull trout stream in the lower Clark Fork River drainage. Dewatering would reduce bull trout spawning within this stream and could have long-term adverse effects on the bull trout population within the lower Clark Fork River drainage. (DEIS summary page 39)
   
• Dewatering would also impact Bull River’s population of pure westslope cutthroat trout, a forest sensitive species and species of special concern. (DEIS Vol.1 page 288)
   
• Dewatering would impact the East Fork and Mainstem of Rock Creek, which both provide critical habitat for the bull trout. (DEIS Vol.1 summary page 39)

2) Mine Cavity

Water diverted into the mine cavity would, after mine closure, be allowed to flow untreated into the East Fork of Bull River. Water from the mine cavity should be captured, treated and prevented from being discharged into the East Fork of Bull River.

• The quality of this mine water cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, yet treatment is not currently being considered.  (DEIS summary page 31)
   
• The flow would be significant enough to increase the volume of water in the East Fork of Bull River post mining. (DEIS Vol.1 page 309)

3) Mine Tailings

The impacts from mine tailings would include the diversion of a significant stream, seepage to groundwater, a perpetual discharge, and a massive containment dam. The visual consequences also would be significant because of the size of the tailings pile and its close proximity to the boundary of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area and associated Inventoried Roadless Area.

• A 120 million ton tailings pile that would be contained behind a 310-foot dam. (DEIS Vol.1 page 409)(DEIS Vol.1 page 199)
   
• The tailings would be deposited on wetlands and springs, which would potentially destabilize the 120 million tons of waste rock. (DEIS summary page 10)
   
• It is likely that the dam will be classified as high hazard because of the consequences if it were to fail. (DEIS Vol.1 page 22)
   
• The approximately 647 acres of tailings would require the diversion of a perennial stream (Little Cherry Creek) in order to accommodate the size of the pile. (DEIS Vol.1 page 199)
   
• The diversion of Little Cherry Creek would permanently destroy 13,000 feet of aquatic habitat. (DEIS summary page 39)
   
• Little Cherry Creek provides habitat for the inland redband trout, a forest sensitive species and species of special concern.  . (DEIS summary page 37)
  
  

4) Land Application Disposal (LAD)

Mine wastewater collected from the tailings would be discharged into the groundwater by first applying it to the surface with sprinklers and then allowing the effluent to percolate into the underlying aquifer. Hazards in this proposal are many, including groundwater saturation and subsequent runoff into adjacent surface waters. There are limited options for this discharge during the winter months when irrigation is not an option. The DEIS also mentions few alternatives when the ground does reach saturation and additional application is not possible.

• A proposed Land Application Disposal that would impact both groundwater and adjacent creeks. (DEIS Vol.1 page 27)

• Surface application of seepage collected from the mine tailings via sprinklers to approximately 400 acres of land situated between Ramsey and Poorman Creeks, both of which would be impacted by the discharge of this mine wastewater.  (DEIS Vol. 1 page 61)
   
• A significant volume of water ranging from 1.34 million gallons per day at mine closure, decreasing to 290,000 gallons per day after 10 years. A perpetual seepage that will require disposal would be approximately 145,000 gallons per day. (DEIS Vol.1 page 74)
   
• Impacts to Ramsey and Poorman Creeks which provide habitat for the threatened bull trout and a population of pure redband trout, a forest sensitive species and a species of special concern.. (DEIS summary page 37)
   
• Likelihood that the Land Application Disposal would be required in perpetuity.  (DEIS summary page 32)
  
  

5) Wildlife Impacts

Species impacted would include the threatened grizzly bear, lynx and bull trout. Also impacted would be the westslope cutthroat trout and inland redband trout. Both are forest sensitive species and species of special concern. Numerous other species including sensitive and indicator species are at risk from being displaced such as mountain goats, moose and wolverine.

• Only 10-15 grizzly bears inhabit the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness; 30-35 in the entire Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem.
   
• Whereas the proposed Rock Creek mine would impact 7,044 acres of grizzly bear habitat, the Montanore mine would impact approximately 27,000 acres of habitat. This degree of habitat loss cannot be mitigated. . (DEIS Vol.1 page 136)
   
• The tailings impoundment alone would impact over 400 acres of lynx habitat and 647 acres of moose wintering range. Lynx is s a newly listed threatened species and long-term loss of lynx habitat from the Montanore mine is a concern.. (DEIS Vol.1 page 200)
   
• Dewatering would significantly impact the East Fork of Bull River, the most important bull trout stream in the lower Clark Fork River drainage. (DEIS summary page 39)
   
• Mine related sediment introduced to streams would further degrade the aquatic habitat of the bull trout, westslope cutthroat, and redband trout.
   
• Classification of the westslope cutthroat and redband trout as forest sensitive species is intended to provide protection so the species do not become listed as endangered or threatened due to forest service actions.
   
• The westslope cutthroat trout now occupies only 19-27% of its historic range in Montana.
   
• Both the wolverine and mountain goat use habitat that would be directly impacted by the mine.

6) Visual and Noise

Visual and noise impacts would reach well into the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. These impacts would not only be significant for wildlife, but also would seriously affect the “wilderness experience” sought by hikers, wildlife enthusiasts, hunters and fishers.

• The mine would create 24/7 industrial lighting, all well within visual range of the wilderness, with significant impacts to the night sky. (DEIS Vol.2 page 708)
   
• Heavy industrial mine traffic would continuously operate adjacent to the wilderness.(DEIS Vol.2 page 636)
   
• The tailings impoundment would have physical characteristics that contrast significantly with the surrounding landscape. The scenic integrity and landscape character changes at the impoundment site would be noticeable indefinitely.  (DEIS summary page 41)
   
• The mine plan includes constructing a 16 mile 230 kV transmission line in the Libby Creek drainage. (DEIS Vol.1 page 89)
   
• During the construction phase, noise (85 dBA) would be produced by heavy equipment, such as scrapers, bulldozers, graders, loaders, and rock trucks.  (DEIS Vol.2 page 636)
   
• Hearing damage occurs at 90 dBA, jet aircraft engine noise registers at 110 dBA, a busy city street is 60 dBA. The noise at the boundary of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness would be 55 dBA, almost equal to the noise of a busy city street. (DEIS Vol.2 page 637)
   
• Generators and ventilation fans also would generate noise (85dBA) that would be audible within the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. (DEIS Vol.2 pages 636, 637)
   
• Blasting of the evaluation adit would generate noise around 122 dBA.
   
• Visual and noise impacts would continue through the 16-19 year life of the mine.

7) Wilderness and Roadless Area Impacts

The impacts to the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness from the Montanore mine would include water quality and quantity impacts to numerous wilderness lakes and streams, including the East Fork of Bull River and Rock Lake. The project would significantly impact threatened species of wildlife that depend on the undisturbed habitat that the wilderness and associated roadless lands provide. Noise and visual mine related impacts would further degrade wilderness character.

• Noise from heavy equipment, blasting, generators, and ventilation fans.
   
• Visual impacts that would include a massive tailings pile, truck traffic, and a ventilation adit adjacent to Rock Lake.
   
• The Libby Creek Adit would be located inside and adjacent to an Inventoried Roadless Area, which includes old growth and core grizzly bear habitat. (DEIS Vol. 3 figure #47)
   
• Air quality issues would include cumulative impacts associated with the neighboring Rock Creek mine. The wilderness has a Class One Airshed meriting the highest level of protection. Potential impacts include discharges of particulates (PM10), nitric oxides, and sulfur dioxides.

Copyright 2009  Save Our Cabinets