DEQ Releases Final Environmental Assessment and Decision Document for Exploration Project in Silver Bow County
HELENA—The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Decision Document for an exploration project near Walkerville, Mont. in Silver Bow County. The Final EA is specific to a new exploration project proposed by Butte Blackjack Operating, LLC (Blackjack).
DEQ received an application for an exploration license from Blackjack on June 15, 2021. Blackjack proposes to drill exploration holes and repair the Chief Joseph portal in order to extract 500 tons of material for metallurgical testing. Following the initial application, Blackjack submitted an update that lowered the total number of proposed exploration holes from 37 to 35 and the number of drill pads from 12 to 10. The entire project would be located on private land and would disturb about 3.54 acres. In addition to drilling and underground activities, Blackjack would use an existing road and overland travel to access the drill sites and would construct 225 feet of new road between the Chief Joseph portal and a 21,000-cubic-yard waste rock pile. All disturbances would be required to be reclaimed.
A portion of this exploration project falls within the Butte Priority Soils Operable Units (BPSOU) Superfund site boundaries. Blackjack is required to comply with all applicable laws, rules and ordinances, including any that are related to the Superfund remediation of the BPSOU site. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for requirements pertaining to mineral exploration within a Superfund site. DEQ will regularly communicate with the EPA to share observations and updates about site activities, as well as to coordinate site inspections.
DEQ prepared a draft EA to analyze potential impacts from the proposed project. DEQ gave a presentation on the exploration license application and the license application review process at the August EPA Butte Monthly Community Discussion and accepted comments from July 21 to Sept. 1, 2021. The Final EA discloses potential impacts and includes the agency’s responses to substantive comments. DEQ has also provided all comments to Blackjack and, as a result of comments received, Blackjack has agreed to restrict drilling at the Missoula Drill site, which would be located near residential neighborhoods, to between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
An approvable bond to cover the costs of reclamation is required from Blackjack prior to issuance of the exploration license. DEQ has determined that Blackjack meets the requirements of 82-4-332, Montana Code Annotated (MCA); therefore, DEQ intends to issue the exploration license once a final bond is approved. An exploration license is limited to exploration projects and is not an operating permit to mine, which would require a separate and additional review process.
To view the Final EA and Decision Document, visit: https://deq.mt.gov/mining/Programs/hardrock#accordion2-collapse4
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