State of Montana Newsroom
DEQ Issues Final Permit on the Black Butte Copper Project
HELENA—Following receipt of the first reclamation bond increment, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality has issued its final Hard Rock Mining Operating Permit to Tintina Montana Inc., on the Black Butte Copper Project. Tintina proposes to construct, operate and reclaim a new underground copper mine located approximately 15 miles north of White Sulphur Springs in Meagher County, Mont.
The issuance of the final operating permit means that Tintina can proceed with Phase 1 Development construction activities. These activities include preparation of the following features: portal pad, temporary waste rock storage pad, cemented tailings facility borrow area, brine contact water pond impoundment, roads, stockpiles and staging (or laydown) areas for construction material/equipment.
DEQ calculated a bond increment in the amount of $4,653,348 to cover the reclamation costs for the disturbance created by the Phase 1 Development construction activities. The bond has been posted by Tintina and DEQ reviewed and accepted the bond prior to issuing the final permit.
Phase 1 Development is the only approved work Tintina can conduct without further action. As a potential future action, DEQ will issue a bond determination that focuses on the reclamation costs for the disturbance created by Phase 2 Development construction activities, mining phase construction activities and all other approved mining activities.
Prior to proceeding into any Phase 2 Development or Mining Phase activities, Tintina must submit the corresponding incremental bond for review and approval by DEQ and adhere to requirements in its final permit. Those requirements include submitting to DEQ detailed final designs consistent with the Agency Modified Alternative evaluated in the Final EIS, and obtaining from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation any permit to appropriate water and/or change authorizations needed to mitigate the predicted reduction of flow in Coon Creek.
More information on the project is available for the public to view by visiting DEQ’s website at: http://deq.mt.gov/Land/hardrock/tintinamines