The Cabinet Mountains. Photo by Shannon James.
by Derf Johnson
Earlier this year, the U.S. Forest Service released its draft environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed Montanore Mine’s newest exploration project (See the March 2025 issue of Down to Earth for a rundown). The proposed mine, owned by Idaho-based Hecla Mining since 2016, would run directly adjacent to and underneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness area, will likely dewater and pollute wilderness streams, and will displace endangered species including grizzly bears and bull trout. For decades, the mining company has been working to begin extracting copper and silver from deep beneath the wilderness, and for decades, MEIC and our partners have been holding it at bay.
While finalizing the EA will likely take until at least the end of the year, Pres. Donald Trump recently designated the exploration project (known as the Libby Exploration Project) under the FAST-41 program in order to grease the skids and potentially avoid a robust environmental review of this boondoggle of a mine. FAST-41, created in 2015 under the Obama Administration, is also known as the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation” Act. It was originally created as a designation that can be applied to certain critical infrastructure projects which require an analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and are identified as important projects for national security and economic development.
Unfortunately, “critical minerals” mining proposals were added to the list of projects available for FAST-41 status in the waning days of the first Trump Administration (“Critical minerals” is a term largely used by industry to encourage expedited mining under the banner of national security and economic development). The Libby Exploration project was included in the first round of projects eligible for FAST-41 designations under the new Trump Administration this past April. This designation will allow for expedited review timelines and increased resources for the permitting process, which inevitably leads to project approvals. The Stillwater Mine — located between Bozeman and Billings — has also recently been granted FAST-41 status, and there are rumors of other Montana projects being granted the status, including coal mines (which would be a stretch to categorize as “important” for national security or economic development).
While the implications of Montanore being granted FAST-41 are not fully clear, MEIC remains very concerned about granting expedited status to an industry that is the #1 source of toxic pollution in the United States. While modern society will need certain metals as we transition to cleaner sources of energy, we do not have to and should not compromise Montanans’ health, land, air, and wildlife in the process of considering whether to permit these projects and evaluate alternatives, such as the circular economy by keeping materials in use for as long as possible and recycling.
This article was published in the June 2025 issue of Down To Earth.
