by Larry Campbell, Friends of the Bitterroot Conservation Director
Upper West Fork Bitterroot landscape at risk of open pit mine. Photo by Larry Campbell.
Friends of the Bitterroot (FOB) was immediately alarmed when mining claim owner US Critical Materials Corporation (USCM) produced a press release in 2022 promoting the Sheep Creek rare earth elements deposit. It would be nearly impossible to find a worse location for a mine in the Bitterroot.
The seven-square mile claim block at the head of the West Fork of the Bitterroot contains rich habitat where pure strain westslope cutthroat trout, bull trout, wolverine, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and elk thrive. About half the claim block lies within the Allan Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area that anchors the Continental Divide wildlife corridor, providing secure access for grizzly bears reinhabiting the Bitterroot Ecosystem Grizzly Recovery Zone. The mine would also jeopardize the high-value, time-tested renewable fishing economy of the Bitterroot. The possible boom and guaranteed bust of unsustainable mining would permanently sacrifice a generations-old, dispersed, sustainable local economy for quick out-of-state corporate profit.
Many saw the press release as a hyped sales pitch and doubt there will ever be a mine. Indeed, a full mining operation may never materialize, but a lot of damage can happen from exploration activities, including bulldozing pads, creating new roads, digging drainage holes that can introduce pollution into the aquifer. This is what FOB is presently focusing on.
Indications of possible asbestos is the most immediate concern. Given the tragedy of hundreds of preventable deaths from asbestos in Libby, Montana, we are asking the Forest Service to require USCM to hire an independent contractor to test for asbestos prior to any ground-disturbing exploration activities at Sheep Creek.
The need for independent testing is urgent, as USCM has announced it will submit a Plan of Operations this summer involving drilling. Such ground-disturbing activity would trigger the need for an environmental analysis pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, with its associated public comment opportunities. Until that time, we are asking concerned citizens to contact Bitterroot National Forest Ranger Dan Pliley, daniel.pliley@usda.gov to be notified of news regarding exploration permitting.
The federal government recently expedited permitting for “critical minerals” exploration, and the US Forest Service’s use of quick and superficial Categorical Exclusions to permit “critical mineral” exploration just over the ridge in Idaho has us worried they might do the same at Sheep Creek. This requires a rapid response for effective public opposition.
First, we researched relevant information and created a public library on Friends of the Bitterroot’s website: www.friendsofthebitterroot.net/sheep-creek-mining
We also reached out to existing groups to collaborate and coordinate opposition. A coalition of 17 groups submitted a “pre-scoping comment letter” to the Bitterroot National Forest, putting both the BNF and USCM on notice about some initial concerns.
An online petition to stop the mine has over a thousand signatures: www.change.org/p/stop-the-sheep-creek-mine-don-t-pollute-the-bitterroot.
Finally, an ad hoc “stop-the-mine group” is forming and is organizing public presentations: www.bitterrootcleanwater.org.
This article was published in the July 2024 issue of Down To Earth.
