By Tom Kuglin, Helena Independent Record
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality will appeal a recent decision that found the agency inadequately analyzed the potential environmental impacts of a proposed copper mine near a tributary of the Smith River.
State District Court Judge Katherine Bidegaray ruled late last week that DEQ erred in its issuance of a mine operating permit for the Black Butte Copper Project near White Sulphur Springs. The judge found the agency’s determination that storage of tailings, and specifically a plan to use cement to stabilize and store tailings, reached unsupported or questionable conclusions.
