Environmental groups say Montana’s House Bill 576 and Senate Bill 392 flout federal regulations to protect the environment and punish citizens who challenge mining permits in good faith.
Mining organizations and renewable trade groups say the long permitting timelines and litigation delays for mining projects are incompatible with the urgent demand for materials needed to decarbonize the economy.
After a new mining company recently announced that it intends to develop a rare-earth metals mine in the headwaters of the Bitterroot River, the Bitterroot National Forest issued a statement saying it hadn’t received a mining application from the company.
The four conservation groups which filed the suit worried the mining would disturb the bi-state sage grouse, an iconic bird known for its extravagant mating dances.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is putting $65 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law toward cleanups at three Superfund former mining sites in Montana, the agency announced Tuesday.
A mining company with eyes on an area between Las Vegas and Reno rich in lithium and boron was dealt a setback by the Bureau of Land Management over an endangered plant.