Rock Creek Mine under DEQ control? I don't think so!

Editor,

First of all, I am not against the harvesting of our natural resources. When we get out of bed in the morning most everything we use or touch during the day come from natural resources. I am not against progress and those who provide jobs resulting in the American dream and economic stability. However, we should insist that state and federal laws are enforced and compiled with. Our state agencies that issue permits and regulations, should be held accountable for overseeing and enforcing compliance stipulated within those permits they originally issue. From what I read in the Montana newspaers it appears that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be in charge of overseeing proper mining and water treatment procedures conducted by the Rock Creek Mine owners (Revett Minerals) located near Noxon. That is a terrible mistake as the DEQ and their leadership is nothing but a farce! They spend 95 percent of their time making excuses and considering amendments to favor big business instead of enforcing their own original permit specifications. Our governor, Brian Schweitzer goes along with all of this.

I give you this one of many examples of their conduct: In 2005, the DEQ issued an open pit gravel mine permit in the Trout Creek area that is located no 50 yards from our property and home. They did this without advertising for a public meeting to tell the people what was going to take place in our immediate area. There were several violations that took place at that gravel pit by the contractor, Riverside Construction, a highway resurfacing firm out of Missoula. That pit, called the Nolen pit, according to the original permit issued to Riverside Construction was to be reclaimed by Nov. 15, 2005, back into pasture grass. Fifty percent of the ugly mess has not been reclaimed to this date, (three years later) because the DEQ is holding two unsigned amendments requested by Riverside Construction. This is how the DEQ leaves the reclamation in limbo and not enforced. I ask, how long can anyone hold a piece of paper (an amendement) on their desks? For three years? What is going on DEQ?

The intentional illegal reclamation holdup is being done so that the land owner can distribute the overproduced gravel products that are still there and not reclaimed. The Nolen pit is only one of may, many gavel pits and mines in Montana that have never been reclaimed. This unreclaimed gravel pit across from our home is loaded with unattended bull thistle weeds, knapweek, 6 ft. high mullen weeds skeletons and several other ugly noxious weed varieties growing out of the piles of distrubed top soil, left for the past three years. Opper, head of the DEQ promised that the weeds would be sprayed and controlled. Nothing has been done and prevailing winds have dumped all the undesirable weed seed on our beautiful front lawn. The unreclaimed Nolen pit eyesore has greatly lowered the value of our property and those near us.

We sent a certified letter to Schweitzer asking for an investigation by him and the Attorney General into the DEQ’s very questionable conduct and inefficiencies authorized by DEQ Director Richard Opper. Schweitzer just brushed us off and there was no investigation or any other action taken against the DEQ employees or administration. Come to find out, from the news media, Opper is a close friend of Schweitzer. Check it out folkds and protest the DEQ and Schweitzer from overseeing the Rock Creek Mine operation near Noxon. Let the Rock Creek Min and Co-Gen proceed as the jobs are needed desperately in this area providing that both comply to Montana laws and federal regulations with responsible inspection on a daily basis! Let’s do it right this time. Demand federal or independent untampered inspection at Rock Creek an at the Co-Gen plant in Thompson Falls. Reclamation on all open cut gravel pits and abandon mines has to be enforced according to permit deadlines and the DEQ is not getting it done.

George P. Austin

Trout Creek