Breaking news: BLM nixes mining proposal near Mount St. Helens
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 3:30 PM PDT
By Barbara LaBoe
Printable version
E-mail this articleThe proposed mine near Mount St. Helens is dead, according to company officials after the Bureau of Land Management rejected a mining lease.
The BLM move didn’t completely preclude mining near the volcano but did acknowledge the strong public opposition to the project. But, given the decision, General Moly of Colorado has decided to halt its plans, officials said Wednesday afternoon.
“Given the decision ... we will spend no further time, money or effort on the application process (near Mount St. Helens),” said Seth Foreman, the company’s director of investor relations. “Our primary focus has been and will continue to be our two molybdenum development properties in Nevada.”
The company will retain its mineral rights near the volcano for the time being but has not plans to apply for any further leases or mining permits, Foreman said.
The company sought a lease to mine nearly 900 acres in the vicinity of Goat Mountain and approximately 12 miles from the volcano crater. Officials wanted to mine cooper, gold, silver and molybdenum. The land in question is near but not part of the 110,000 acre National Volcanic Monument.
Wednesday, the BLM took no action on the lease request, but cautioned that mine officials could still apply for mining permits if they wanted to continue with their plans.
The BLM concluded that it wasn’t possible to determine if the lease would be “compatible with the purpose for which the lands were re-acquired by the federal government,” according to a press release.
Several environmental groups and regional cities oppose the mine, saying it’s too close to the volcano and could threaten the drinking water of nearby cities. Numerous people filed comments with the BLM about the mine idea, which were considered in making the “no action” decision, according to the BLM.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s edition of The Daily News.
Goble Falls wrote on Apr 30, 2008 1:58 PM:
Reality Check wrote on Apr 30, 2008 2:20 PM:
Misinformed wrote on Apr 30, 2008 5:45 PM:
of free speech - the same tactics used
by communists.
"
YES no mine wrote on Apr 30, 2008 6:05 PM:
Dont live in Montana anymore wrote on Apr 30, 2008 6:23 PM:
DLIMA "
public hearing wrote on Apr 30, 2008 7:33 PM:
Good to hear wrote on Apr 30, 2008 8:05 PM:
HideBehind wrote on Apr 30, 2008 9:10 PM:
Happy Citizen wrote on Apr 30, 2008 10:34 PM:
Another Copper Miner wrote on Apr 30, 2008 11:21 PM:
pollute if not strictly controlled, but if that is not done on site - its a moot point. I agree with the other copper miner that environmentalists are misleading the public, and they don't want you to hear the other side. I lived in the copper mining area for more than 20 years, and there was no air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, and the landscape was not destroyed either. Where is the pollution supposed to come from in the Mt St. Helens area? It doesn't figure. "
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