The Montana Environmental Quality Council has approved a letter requesting federal funding for rare earth and critical mineral extraction from legacy mining sites. Addressed to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the letter seeks funds through the Army’s Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation account for the Montana Mining Association’s Extraction Demonstration project.
The letter passed with a 14-1 vote, although some legislators wanted to impose limits on the projects covered by the funding request. This initiative aligns with federal efforts to secure domestic supply chains for critical minerals by funding technological advancements and mining projects within the U.S. Montana, with its rich mining history, is focusing on revitalizing old mines to extract crucial minerals, including at the Berkeley Pit in Butte.
“There’s billions of gallons of metals lying in the water in the Berkeley Pit and hundreds of millions of tons of smelter waste (near Anaconda) all bearing appreciable levels of metals with many of those being critical in those two sites,” said Montana Mining Association director Matt Vincent during a presentation at the EQC’s October meeting.
Vincent listed critical elements like zinc, germanium, copper, cobalt, tungsten, manganese, nickel, bismuth, and antimony. Research by Montana Tech University and others has focused on extracting rare earth elements from coal waste, mining wastewater, and the Berkeley Pit, with potential to produce 40 tons of rare earths annually.
The Montana Mining Association is actively working on extraction at legacy sites like the Berkeley Pit, Anaconda smelter, Sibanye-Stillwater, Black Butte, and Antonioli-Contact mines. “The sites that we select are based on legacy sites and operating permit sites where they have conducted initial sampling that’s identified, what the critical elements are, that they’re appreciable amounts of that would lend themselves to being priority target sites,” Vincent told the EQC.
Some concerns were raised by Rep. Josh Seckinger, D-Bozeman, over the lack of specificity in the letter regarding the sites involved, potentially leading to misunderstandings. Conservation groups expressed support for repurposing existing mines but were wary of new mining operations. Julia DalSoglio from the Montana Sierra Club agreed that focusing on places like the Berkeley Pit is sensible.
Recent opposition to new mining projects, such as in the Bitterroot Valley, has been significant, drawing public attention and leading to political statements against fast-tracking. Ben Cotton from MEIC emphasized the need for clear language to avoid misinterpretation of the projects targeted.
The letter was ultimately approved with an added section listing the Montana Mining Association’s five priority projects and “future legacy sites.”
—
Read More Montana News
