Black Butte, an underground copper mine project at Smith River. | Wikipedia Commons
Black Butte, an underground copper mine project at Smith River. | Wikipedia Commons
The controversial Black Butte Copper Project has been approved by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
A final impact statement (FIS) on the project on March 13 indicated the mine would not cause harm to Sheep Creek, a tributary of the Smith River near White Sulpher Springs. The project was approved by the DEQ on April 9.
The DEQ said the permit was "the most protective" the agency had ever signed, the Montana Free Press reported.
Many groups opposed to the project and vowed to continue to challenge the mine, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported in March.
The Black Butte Copper Project is an underground copper mine located approximately 15 miles north of While Sulphur Springs. It is expected to operate for 19 years and offer up to 250 jobs, according to the Montana Free Press.
Groups opposed to the project believe the mine would threaten water quality in the Smith River, which is famous for its fly-fishing, rafting and other river activities. They also indicated that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality analysis of the mine impact on the river fell short.
David Brooks, executive director of Montana Trout Unlimited, said in March the DEQ's final environmental review of the project "discounted the concerns of thousands of Montanans who submitted comments asking the agency to protect the Smith River for future generations," reported the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
“Today we learned that despite an EIS that was shown to be woefully inadequate, the DEQ gave Sandfire the go-ahead to build its controversial mine, with only minor changes that do little to curtail the substantial risks it poses to water quality, water quantity, and the Smith River’s nationally renowned wild trout fishery,” Brooks said in March, as reported by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
The DEQ said that its final environmental impact statement "addresses issues and concerns raised at public meetings and during the public comment period." The agency also said the information from the comment period was used to prepare its final report.
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