The Custer Gallatin National Forest and Montana Department of Environmental Quality are currently analyzing a proposal from Sibanye-Stillwater to expand new tailings and waste rock storage facilities at the East Boulder Mine. These facilities would be partially located in the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analyzing the environmental effects of this proposal will be available June 23 for public review and comment. As members of the Custer Gallatin Working Group (CGWG), we encourage the public to review the draft EIS and submit a comment before the Aug. 9 deadline.
The CGWG is a stakeholder collaborative led by county commissioners from the nine counties that border the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The CGWG is composed of representatives from industry, recreation, conservation, and local governments. Sibanye-Stillwater represents the mining industry on this collaborative. The CGWG’s purpose is to “restore or maintain the landscapes of a nine-county area of southern Montana that contains the Custer Gallatin National Forest to desired conditions that will sustain the productive interrelationships of the physical, economic, ecological and social environments of the region.” The CGWG will attend the MDEQ/Forest Service open house at the Carnegie Library in Big Timber at 6 p.m. on July 12. The CGWG will use this opportunity to meet with local affected stakeholders and learn of their concerns to better form the CGWG comments on this very important project. You can also attend this meeting virtually through a link provided by the MDEQ and the Forest Service. The link can be found on the Custer Gallatin National Forest website.
The CGWG is reviewing the East Boulder Mine surface facilities expansion proposal and intends to submit comments. On May 4, CGWG members spent the day at the East Boulder Mine south of Big Timber. Other CGWG members also toured the East Boulder mine at their convenience. Those attending received an overview of the project and toured the proposed tailings and waste rock sites. We learned that the existing tailings and waste rock storage sites will soon be at maximum capacity.
Sibanye-Stillwater is the only producer of palladium in the United States. The company Boulder Mine and the Stillwater Mine, which are both partially located on the Custer Gallatin National Forest. These mines produce platinum as well as palladium which are among the main components required in the manufacture of catalytic converters. These minerals are on the list of the 50 critical minerals identified by the U.S. government. Critical minerals play a significant role in our national security, economy, renewable energy development and infrastructure.
Finding a balance between business and our natural resources is essential to Montana’s economy. Sibanye-Stillwater is one of the largest private-sector employers in Montana, with nearly 2,000 workers. According to the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Sibanye-Stillwater contributes $6.1 billion annually to the Montana economy, along with $295 million in tax and non-tax revenue. In addition to producing palladium and platinum from mine ore, the Sibanye-Stillwater mines also recycle old catalytic converters, accounting for 55 percent of their production. The East Boulder mine has identified available ore reserves which would allow production until 2062. The expansion of their surface facilities is critical to continue mine operations through 2047. Without the expansion, the East Boulder Mine will run out of storage capacity and be unable to continue operating by the year 2025.
Public comment is an important element of managing the public lands of the Custer Gallatin National Forest. Your input will help the Forest Service determine whether, or how, to approve Sibanye-Stillwater’s request to expand the East Boulder Mine tailings and waste rock storage facilities. The comment period ends Aug. 9. You can learn more about the project and file a comment letter online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/custergallatin/?project=61385
This editorial solely represents the opinion of the Chronicle Editorial Board. The board consists of the managing editor, the publisher and several community members. The community members are non-journalists who provide input and help shape the board's opinions.
The board does not represent the views of the newsroom, and its opinions have no influence over the Chronicle's news coverage. To submit feedback on this editorial, email citydesk@dailychronicle.com.
Editorial Board
Mark Dobie, publisher
Jason Bacaj, managing editor
Richard Broome, community member
Renee Gavin, community member
Charles Rinker, community member
Will Swearingen, community member
Angie Wasia, community member
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