The CEO of the company developing a massive copper and silver mine near Libby says work could begin this year, but it will be another year before progress is made underground.
Mines Management CEO Glenn Dobbs said the mining company would most likely hire workers in the coming months to start construction work at Montanore Mine. Among the work that needs to be done are improvements to the road that goes to the adit site. However, the actual mine evaluation and dewatering of the adit would not begin until early 2017. Dobbs said the company is still looking for financial partners in the project but that he is optimistic that the capital to start the mine evaluation will be secured in the coming months.
Dobbs made the comments just days after the Montana Department of Environmental Quality announced they were reopening public comment on the wastewater discharge permit renewal for the mine. The decision to extend the comment period comes after an environmental group challenged the U.S. Forest Service in court for approving the mine earlier this year. Mine officials said they were not concerned about DEQ extending the comment period.
Work is also expected to start this year on 25 acres of wetland south of Libby. As part of the mine’s wetland mitigation permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mines Management has to ensure that there is just as much wetland in the area after the mine is built as there was before construction. To do that, it is helping reconstruct a creek near U.S. Highway 2. The reconstructed wetlands will makeup for the 8 acres lost to the mine’s tailings facilities. Mines Management contractor Eric Klepfer said about a dozen people will be hired to start the work later this year.
Mining officials say the Montanore Mine could produce 7 million ounces of silver and 60 million pounds of copper annually and employ about 350 people.