Montana looks at only partial approval for wilderness area silver, copper mine

BILLINGS, Mont. — Montana officials are considering giving only partial approval to a $500 million silver and copper mine proposed beneath a wilderness area near the Idaho border, injecting uncertainty into a project that’s been in the works for more than a decade.

Regulators have continuing concerns with the Montanore Mine’s potential effect on surrounding waterways, said Tom Livers director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

“We’re not sure we can approve the full mining plan that’s been proposed,” Livers told The Associated Press. “We’re looking at what we can approve. Some may have to happen subsequently as we get more information.”

A decision is expected this month. The project is sponsored by Mines Management Inc. of Spokane. It would disturb more than 1,500 acres and remove up to 120 million tons of ore from beneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness in Lincoln County, south of Libby, Mont.

Mines Management chairman Glenn Dobbs says anything less than full approval could make it difficult to attract investors or force a sale to a larger mining company that would delay the project.

Just last month, the mine appeared to have cleared one of its most significant hurdles when the DEQ and and U.S. Forest Service finalized a long-awaited environmental review of the project.

“To imply he (Livers) might not be able to approve the full mine plan in which his agency has been integrally involved in for 10 years is an absurdity,” Dobbs said.

Livers said he was limited in what he could say about the state’s intentions because a final decision had not been made. But he added that the agency was reluctant to approve a permit that has “legal weaknesses” because it would likely face a court challenge given strong opposition to Montanore from environmental groups.