Work on a southwest Montana tungsten mine is temporarily on hold following a judge’s order.
Judge Luke Berger in Beaverhead County District Court in June suspended all authorized mining activities on the Calvert Tungsten Mine in the Big Hole River watershed. The site sits about 40 miles southwest of Butte.
Berger granted the temporary restraining order following a motion filed in mid-June by the Bozeman-based conservation group Upper Missouri Waterkeeper. According to the group’s press release, they sought the injunction because Mithril Mining Corporation was set to start work this past Monday, with minimal public notice.
Waterkeeper has also filed a complaint against the Montana Department of Environmental Quality for approving the company’s Small Miner Exclusion Statement. It allows small-scale hard rock miners to bypass standard operating permits, provided they adhere to certain other requirements.The conservation group says DEQ approved the exclusion without any public notice, public participation, or any environmental review..
A hearing to determine whether Judge Berger’s injunction should be made permanent is scheduled for June 30.
