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CRC's letter to DEQ
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June 17, 2005
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter in reference to HB 606, the Small Miner Responsibility Act. I am a member of the Cottonwood Resource Council in Big Timber, MT. We, along with many other Montanans, worked hard to see this bill pass.
For the first time ever, small mining operations will be regulated to ensure bonding and reclamation of their large tailings impoundments. Large impoundments are known for threatening water quality. Under previous law, mining operations, including the Lodestar Mill Site east of Big Timber, were exempted from the Metal Mine Reclamation Actâs reclamation and bonding requirements. Although permitting through the DEQ is not required in HB 606, DEQ does require an approval plan which includes reclamation and posting a bond. HB 606 has an immediate effective date and the mining operations have six months to have the plan approved, rather than one year.
We, as concerned citizens, would like to know what the Montana Department of Environmental Quality will be doing now that HB 606 is the law of the land. Please let us know what you intend to do with this new law, especially as it applies to the Lodestar Mill Site near Greycliff.
Sincerely,
Kirk Skinner
Big Timber