2009 Montana Mining - Montana Mining Association

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PRINTED PROUDLY IN MONTANA by 

ARTCRAFT PRINTERS of 

BILLINGS, INC. 

Mailing provided by 

Helena Industries, Inc., Helena, MT 

PRINTED | APRIL 2009 

in this issue of 

M O N T A N A M I N I N G 

MMA President’s Message – Mike Mullaney 4 

MMA Executive Director’s Message – Debbie Shea 6 

Montana Mining Association Mission Statement 6 

MMA Board of Directors 2009 8 

Member Profile – Elton Chorney 9 

Legislative Corner 10 

2009 MMA Annual Meeting 10 

Ravalli GPAA Chapter proud to merge with Montana Mining Association 12 

Montana Tech and Montana’s mining industry 14 

Connecting the dots – Western Environmental Trade Association 18 

Hydrologic control for current mine and lease by 

modifying surface coal mines in southeastern Montana 20 

Stillwater Mining Company: Committed to environmental sustainability 22 

Made in Montana 24 

American Mining Insurance Company: 

Insurance from people who know mining 26 

DYWIDAG-Systems International 28 

Holcim’s Trident plant continues to remain productive 30 

Mighty tough – The all-new MT6300AC from Terex is here 32 

At Revett’s Troy Mine, dedicated employees are the key to success 34 

The Northwest Mining Association: 

Representing mining interests throughout North America 36 

Mining in Montana – Governor Brian Schweitzer 40 

Safe work doesn’t come naturally 42 

Montana mining and exploration – 2008 Review 46 

Barretts Minerals Inc. uses an ancient resource for modern applications 52 

MMA unveils new website 54 

Montana Tunnels’ mine wetlands mitigation project 55 

History, Mining and Stewardship in Butte 60 

Graymont Western’s Indian Creek Plant 62 

MMA Membership Application Form 64 

MMA Member Benefits 65 

Index to Advertisers 66 

Montana Mining Association www.montanamining.org 3

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, 

MIKE MULLANEY 

Ihave been honored to take on the responsibility as the president 

during these past two years. It has been a rewarding learning 

experience working with board members, the executive director and 

the executive assistant. We have set up a team-type association that 

actively listens to feedback and then makes sound decisions on a 

consensus basis. 

There are four committees defined in our by-laws: Health and 

safety; education; membership; and legislative. We have board 

members involved in all four committees. Commitment to these 

committees is essential to our success; that success being a strong 

safety culture – both on and off the job – and people of all ages 

being educated about the importance of our natural resources, environmental 

stewardship and compliance with rules and regulations. 

The foundation has been put in place for a bright future for the association, 

and we are starting to deliver strong results. 

Nelson 

Brothers 

MINING SERVICES, LLC 

ANELSON�BROTHERS�/�ORICA�JOINT�VENTURE�� 

(800)�533�6267 

4 Montana Mining 2009 

Safety is a top priority, and we need to have the right behavior 

instilled in us to ensure no one is injured, whether on the job or off. 

We have been developing partnerships with other operators and regulators 

to utilize best practices in the workplace. 

It is essential that efforts are also put into our educational vision. 

We have some folks involved in provider pals, teacher workshops, 

and operational tours. Both producers and associate members have 

been involved in provider pals up at Troy and Libby, and now down 

in Willow Creek. Montana Tech established the Bright Prism project 

that will provide teachers with hands-on experience and training in 

the minerals industry. These are great programs; I commend all 

involved and encourage others to get involved. We need to reach as 

many schools as possible, and educate everyone about the importance 

of natural resources and how natural resource recovery 

impacts our quality of life. This takes much time but is critical to our 

success. My ultimate vision is to produce a video of mining operations 

in Montana to really show “How it’s Made” and link the raw 

resources to final end uses. 

The legislative piece is in good shape now that we have a full-time 

executive director with experience and relationships with many legislatures 

and the DEQ. This past legislative session it proved very beneficial 

having Debbie Shea relentlessly involved in the entire legislative 

process. In this complex world of regulatory change, we have to 

partner up, share our opinions without the negativism, take the high 

road and follow the rules. 

It is a privilege to be part of the mining industry. We work so hard 

in our typical day’s work that we take little time to reflect on our 

accomplishments and to tell our stories. By putting out our annual 

magazine, we have started to tell our stories and communicate to 

others what we are doing in the industry. Our website has been up 

and operational for two years now; this is another great venue for 

our members to access information about the Montana mining 

industry. Check it out. 

Please give feedback and ideas to Debbie, Debra and the board to 

help us achieve our objectives. I thank the board for the opportunity 

to serve as President of the Montana Mining Association. �

DEBBIE SHEA, Executive Director 

Montana Mining Association 

Ihave had several wonderful jobs in my 

lifetime, including teaching for 26 years 

and serving in the Montana Legislature for 

eleven. Both were challenging jobs that 

involved patience and a great deal of staying 

power. I loved the work because the 

experience afforded me the opportunity to 

connect with people and work on their 

behalf. It also taught me a great deal about 

human nature. My work over the past year 

within the association, however, has truly 

surpassed those memorable years and 

given me a new perspective on the old 

adage “When the going gets tough, the 

tough get going”. 

The Montana mining industry is a rela- 


tively close-knit community that covers the 

length and breadth of our great state. It is 

within this community that you find the 

backbone of Montana’s work ethic and the 

conscience of a caring industry. 

The current financial climate has presented 

some tough choices for those manning 

the helms; they have responded with 

integrity and genuine concern for both the 

workers and the respective companies 

whose presence is the lifeline for many 

communities across the state. 

In story after story, leadership within the 

mines has focused on sustaining operations 

with minimal impact. Some have been able 

to do so with less of a blow than others, as 

commodities within the market are certainly 

different. For those having to lay off 

workers or shut down operations, I have 

seen heavy hearts that encouraged patience 

for a better day. 

One thing I know for certain: we are all in 

this together. Mining is a fundamental component 

within Montana, and the resilience 

of its workers is unmatched. We have, as an 

industry, resigned to “batten down the 

hatch”, and will in fact weather this storm. 

And tomorrow, the promise of a new day in 

Montana, whose motto, Oro y Plata, reflects 

our determination. 

I am most proud to work for such honorable 

people. � 

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The Montana Mining Association (MMA) is a Montana trade association dedicated to helping mining 

companies, small miners and allied trade members succeed, understand, comply and function 

in a complex business and regulatory world. The primary purpose of the Montana Mining 

Association is to protect and promote the mining industry in the state. 

The Montana Mining Association monitors issues of concern and provides representation for its 

members at the state legislature and with various state and federal regulatory agencies. The 

Montana Mining Association supports national mining initiatives. 

The Montana Mining Association provides information and education for its members and distributes 

information to the general public about the contribution of minerals and mining to our 

economy and well-being. One of the MMA’s primary functions is to promote and enhance the 

image of the mining industry. 

The Montana Mining Association works in cooperation with other state and national mining 

associations, natural resource trade associations and groups with similar interests and needs. 

The MMA serves the industry on a wide range of subjects through the expertise of its members. 

Many of the MMA’s activities are conducted by various committees. The association has many 

active associates. Committees within the association are health and safety (including the health 

and safety of employees within the association), education, membership and legislative (including 

environmental and land use and political action committee).

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Board of Directors 2009 

Mike Mullaney, President ...............................O (406) 285-4970 

Holcim (US) Inc. 

4070 Trident Road, Three Forks, Montana 59752 

mike.mullaney@holcim.com 

Doug Miller, Vice President.....................O (406) 295-5882 x 222 

Troy Mine – Revett Genesis 

PO Box 1660, Troy, MT 59935 

millerd@troymine.com 

Mark Redfern, 1st Vice President.....................C (406) 671-4105 

Brenntag Pacific 

123 West Boulevard, Lewistown, Montana 59457 

mredfern@brenntag.com 

John Junnila, 2nd Vice President......................O (406) 373-6010 

Westate Machinery Company 

P.O. Box 50370, Billings, MT 59105 

junnilaj@westate.com 

Tim Smith, Past President...............................O (406) 495-2803 

Montana Tunnels Mining Inc. 

P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MT 59638 

tgsmith@mttunnels.com 

Matt Wolfe, Secretary / Treasurer .....................O (406) 322-8700 

Stillwater Mining Company 

536 East Pike Avenue, P.O. Box 1330, Columbus, MT 59019 

mwolfe@stillwatermining.com 

John Hinther, Director .....................................O (406) 266-5221 

Graymont Western U.S. Inc. 

P.O. Box 550, Townsend, MT 59644 

jhinther@graymont.com 

Mark Cole, Director .........................................O (406) 434-5583 

Dick Irvin Inc. 

PO Box 950, Shelby,MT 59474 

mcole@3rivers.net 

Tad Dale, Director ...........................................O (406) 496-3200 

Montana Resources 

600 Shields Avenue, Butte, Montana 59701 

tdale@montanaresources.com 

Tim Dimock, Director ......................................O (406) 287-2046 

Barrick - Golden Sunlight Mine 

453 MT Hwy 2 East, Whitehall, Mt 59759 

tdimock@barrick.com 

John Fitzpatrick, Director.................................O (406) 442-5032 

Fess Foster, Director ........................................O (406) 287-3261 

Geological & Environmental Consultant 

21 Paul Gulch Road, Whitehall, Montana 59759 

fessfoster@earthlink.net 


Bruce Gilbert, Director.....................................O (406) 322-8700 

Stillwater Mining Company 

536 East Pike Avenue 

P.O. Box 1330, Columbus, MT 59019 

bgilbert@stillwatermining.com 

Jim Liebetrau, Director.............................O (406) 563-8494 x 11 

AFFCO..............................................................C (425) 210-3653 

1015 East Sixth Street, Anaconda, MT 59711 

jim.liebetrau@affcomfg.com 

Robin McCulloch, Director ...............................O (406) 496-4171 

Montana Tech 

W. 1300 Park Street, Butte, MT 59701 

rmcculloch@mtech.edu 

Gene Nelson, Director......................................O (406) 549-8856 

Yellow Band Gold Inc. 

3926 Bellecrest Drive, Missoula, MT. 59801 

Geolnelson@aol.com 

Fred Panion, Director .....................................O (406) 285-5303 

Rio Tinto Minerals 

767 Old Yellowstone Trail, Three Forks, MT 59752 

fred.panion@riotinto.com 

Roger W. Rohr, Director ..................................C (406) 698-1563 

Tractor and Equipment Co. 

Major Accounts Manager 

rrohr@tractorandequipment.com 

Jim Daley, Director ..........................................O (406) 683-3324 

Barretts Minerals 

8625 Hwy 91 South, Dillon, MT 59725 

jim.daley@mineralstech.com 

Jim Volberding, Director..................................O (406) 538-2501 

Canyon Resources Corporation 

P.O. Box 799, Hilger, MT 59451 

crkendal@wb.midrivers.com 

Debbie Shea, Executive Director.......................O (406) 495-1444 

Montana Mining Association...................................................... 

1820 North Last Chance Gulch................................................... 

P.O. Box 5567, Helena, MT 59604 

dshea@montanamining.org 

Debra Pitassy, Director of Member Services......O (406) 495-1444 


1820 North Last Chance Gulch 

P.O. Box 5567, Helena, MT 59604 

dpitassy@montanamining.org 

www.montanamining.org

For 24 years, Elton Chroney has championed 

the Montana Mining Association as 

a member, past-president and board director. 

His many contributions include helping to 

save the association from near dissolution in 

1999, when he and a handful of other members 

met regularly to continue the work of 

the MMA and develop a new Charter. 

“We almost lost the association in the late 

‘90s, but resurrected it in a meeting held at 

Graymont’s Indian Creek facility,” Chorney 

says. “It was a grassroots effort by association 

members who volunteered their time. It was 

pretty tough, but we were stubborn and 

wanted to keep the association alive. We continued 

to lobby and kept up regulations in 

order to be good stewards of the land.” 

Mark Cole, a principal at Shelby-based Dick 

Irvin Inc. and a director of the MMA, remembers 

those struggling years and Chorney’s 

invaluable contribution to the association. “At 

one time, there were just a handful of us trying 

to keep the association going,” he says. 

“Elton is a firm believer of supporting the 

industry in both good times, and bad.” 

Today, as Graymont’s director of production 

for Western Canada, Chorney is also a 

director of the association. Prior to his recent 

move to Graymont’s Calgary office in Canada, 

Chorney spent 24 years working as plant 

manager at the company’s Indian Creek lime 

mine in Townsend. His 34 years with the company 

have included working in both Canada 

and the U.S. Chorney was instrumental in 

transitioning and modernizing the Cutler 

Magner’s lime operations in Wisconsin, when 

MEMBER PROFILE 

ELTON CHORNEY 

One of the MMA’s 

greatest cheerleaders 

By Lisa Fattori 

Graymont purchased the company in 2007. 

“I had a team of 20 people working to revamp 

operations so that they were more in 

line with Graymont’s methods,” Chorney says. 

“We modernized the office and accounting 

systems by installing J.D. Edwards’s software, 

and had them online within months. We also 

commissioned a brand new kiln and offered 

expertise about running a pre-heated kiln, 

which is much more efficient.” 

During his tenure as president of the MMA 

from 2002 to 2005, Chorney began a tradition 

which has become a favourite event for association 

members. Sponsored by Graymont, 

each fall a golf tournament attracts members 

to Townsend, where they enjoy a day of golf 

complete with lunch and a BBQ – which are 

personally prepared by Chorney, his co-workers 

and friends in the area. 

“Elton goes above and beyond at this 

tournament, even barbequing the steaks 

himself,” says Mike Mullaney, current president 

of the MMA. “The event raises money 

to help fund the Political Action Com - 

mittee, as well as the day-to-day operations 

of the association.” 

Described as a man with unlimited energy, 

Chorney is happy to lend his time and expertise 

where it is needed. “Elton has a ton of 

energy and tackles any project easily, so I can 

see why he’d advance so well in his career,” 

says MMA’s executive director Debbie Shea. 

“He’s a forward thinker and a very positive 

person who can do great things for both his 

company and the association.” 

A family-owned company headquartered 

in Richmond, B.C., with 17 lime plants located 

throughout the United States and Canada, 

Graymont is the third largest producer of lime 

in North America. Principle products include 

limestone, quicklime, construction stone, 

ready-mix concrete and asphalt. Many of the 

company’s products are used for environmental 

remediation and to protect the environment, 

and Graymont is committed to 

reducing its own environmental footprint. 

“It’s important to educate the public on 

why we need to be mining,” Chorney says. 

“The mining footprint on the world is less 

than one-tenth of one per cent, and those in 

the industry are very conscientious about 

social and environmental responsibility.” � 

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ENGINEERING, INC. 

10 Twelfth St. South 

Great Falls, MT 59401 

(406) 761-1088 

www.le-eng.com 

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LEGISLATIVE CORNER 

Montana’s 61st Legislative Assembly commenced January 5, 2009 

By Debbie Shea 

The political composition of the Montana House of 

Representatives is divided, 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. 

Chairmanship for committees is divided evenly among Republicans 

and Democrats. Montana law states in the case of a tie of representation, 

the Speaker will be of the same party as the Governor. Governor 

Schweitzer is a Democrat so the Speaker of the House is Rep. Bob 

Bergren, Democrat from Havre. 

The structure of the Montana Senate is 27 Republicans and 23 

Democrats. Senator Bob Story, Republican from Park City, Montana, 

serves as President of the Senate. 

The Montana Legislative Website and Television coverage continues 

to evolve each session. As a state Senator back in 1999, I was one of a 

four-member committee (two senators and two representatives) to 

visit states that had state-wide live legislative coverage. Minnesota and 

2009 MMA 

ANNUAL MEETING 

This year, the Montana Mining Asso - 

ciation teamed up with the Fairmont 

Hot Springs Resort to bring its members an 

annual meeting that is functional, convenient, 

economical, and fun. 

All meetings and activities are under one 

roof (with the exception of the educational 

underground mine tour), saving attendees 

both time and money. 

Tables are also being offered at drastically 

reduced rates within the meeting space to 


‘09 MMA 

Annual Meeting 

Fairmont Hot Springs 

accommodate vendors who wish to 

show case their products (table fees for 

members will be $25; non-members, 

$100). 

The meeting will be held May 26-27th, 

2009 in Fairmont, Montana. The meeting 

will include updates from the president 

and executive director, as well as 

updates from each of the MMA’s producer 

mines. The annual meeting’s agenda 

also includes options such as the ever-popular 

golf tournament, cocktail social, educational 

underground mine tour, and closing 

banquet with local favorite Froggy Hull as 

speaker. 

Those attending may want to take advantage 

of the resort facilities (perhaps over the 

holiday weekend) by taking a dip in one of 

the four naturally heated swimming pools, 

taking a ride on the 350' waterslide, keeping 

fit in the well-equipped exercise room, 

Washington were leaders in this endeavor, and our visits and meetings 

to those points resulted in what we have today in Montana. It has had 

its challenges, but thanks to the intelligence and tenacity of Stephen 

Maly, executive director of Helena Civic Television and manager of the 

Television Montana Program, it has become a key tool for educating 

Montanans about the legislature and pending laws. 

Like most sessions, bills reflecting a need for change in current law 

were plentiful this year – and those addressing mining were no exception. 

At the time this magazine was going to press, the Montana 

Legislature was still in session with many mining issues still hanging in 

the balance. For a review of bills of interest to mining and their final 

status, please refer to www.montanamining.org and look under legislative 

updates. � 

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ASSOCIATION 

ASSOCIATION 

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taking your kids out to play on the “Play 

Turf Evolution” equipment, or networking 

in Whisky Joe’s Lounge and Casino with Live 

Entertainment five nights a week. Visit 

www.fairmontmontana.com/ or call 1-800- 

332-3272 to book your room. 

For more information or to register for the 

2009 MMA Annual Meeting, please visit 

www.montanamining.org or call 

406-495-1444. � 

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Ravalli GPAA Chapter 

proud to merge with the 


The Ravalli chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America 

(GPAA) began in the spring of 1994 when five or six recreational 

miners and dredgers decided to form a chapter. Thus began the first 

organized GPAA chapter in Montana. The original president, Cliff 

Simonsen, has never left his post – he still presides in 2009. One other 

original founder is still an active member; he’s held every office except 

president and camp cook. 

The club – with membership swelling to 50 or more – meets once 

a month in the Bitterroot, inviting guest speakers (such as Rob 

McCulloch) and hosting various activities including raffles, panning 

demonstrations, detector courses, and practicing on ball mills, spiral 

wheel separators, etc., to process gold. Usually four to five club outings 

were (and still are) held each summer. The Ravalli chapter’s first outing 

was held in a private claim in Princeton Gulch, Deer Lodge district. 

Club outings eventually expanded to the areas of Helena, Superior, 

and parts of Idaho. 


Club members have helped with school and public mining demonstrations, 

gathered signatures for Montana state initiatives, and sent

several members to Helena to meet with DEQ officials and present testimony 

to legislative committees regarding mining legislation. 

Many of the club’s members have spent time at GPAA claims/and 

private claims around the country, and especially in Alaska. They bring 

gold and other precious metals, photos and, of course, many tales to 

present to the club. Occasionally the club may “lease” a claim, especially 

a patented claim where heavy equipment can be used (the 

bonding requirements are fulfilled by the claim owner). The largest 

gold nugget found during an outing was about three penny weight (82 

grans). Several of these have been recovered. 

Two noteworthy points: (1) The club has never paid a fine to any 

regulatory agency to date; and (2) No one has ever been injured with 

more than a minor bruise or strain to date (15 years). 

As of October, 2008, the Ravalli GPAA chapter merged with the 

Montana Mining Association to form the Ravalli County Chapter of the 

Montana Mining Association. New by-laws were drawn up. This new 

Conveyor Belt Protection 

club meets the third Wednesday of every month (January through 

October) at 7 p.m. at C&S Repair (back building) 164 Victor Crossing, 

Victor, MT. Annual dues are $25 (person or family). 

Club outings are posted on the website www.montanamining.org. 

All Montana Mining Association members and family members are 

invited to join. Remember to help protect our rights to recreate! � 

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Montana Tech and 

Montana’s mining industry 

Past, Present and Future 

With the signing of the 1889 Enabling 

Act, Montana was admitted into the 

Union. At that time acknowledging the West 

held vast mineral potential, Section 17 of 

the Act set aside 100,000 acres of public 

land to establish and maintain a state 

school of mines. 

The relationship between Montana Tech 

and the mining industry in Montana began in 

1893 when the Montana Legislature voted to 

establish the school. The following years saw 

the school built on donated Lode properties 

overlooking the city of Butte. The doors 

opened on September 11, 1900. The first 

graduate of the then-called ‘Montana State 

School of Mine’ was Louis V. Bender in 1903. 

He eventually became the general superintendent 

of the Anaconda Reduction Works. 

The early years saw students taking excursions 

to operating mines to further enhance 

their studies. Trips included travel to mining 

operations in and around Butte, Helena, Gilt 

Edge and Kendal. By 1909, students were 

finding employment in various mines during 

their vacations. In the ensuing years, stu- 


dents found shift work at mines owned by 

the Anaconda Company or the Butte and 

Superior Company. 

In 1919, legislation was enacted to create 

the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, 

which was to be located at Montana Tech. The 

first director of the Bureau was also the pres- 

ident of the school. The objects and duties of 

the Bureau have always pertained to the mineral 

industry; today, the Montana Bureau of 

Mines and Geology continues to collect and 

distribute information on Montana’s water 

and mineral resources. The Bureau’s mineral 

property files, geologic maps, earthquake 

studies, geographic information systems (GIS), 

and Groundwater Information Center assist 

historians, mineral developers and state and 

federal agencies as well as Montana’s citizens. 

In 1967, the Montana Tech Foundation was 

established to further the management of 

the college’s research activities and promote 

the development of the college as an 

academic institution. In 1983, the Foun - 

dation’s mission became focused on procuring 

private and corporate support for academic 

programs, faculty and students. Last 

year the Foundation provided over $2 million 

in support to the college, and reached its $2M 

private support commitment as part of 

Montana Tech’s comprehensive campaign,

‘Strengthening Foun dations… Ensuring the 

Future’. The new Natural Resource Building 

will house the Montana Bureau of Mines and 

Geology and the Petroleum Engineering 

department. 

Montana Tech has 105 graduates employed 

in mining operations from Troy to Dillon, and 

Rock Creek to the Stillwater, and has engi- 

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neers working with industrial minerals, precious 

metals and coal. Many operations hire 

Montana Tech’s students for summer internships, 

providing a win-win relationship. 

Students also interact with industry through 

senior design and technical writing projects, 

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360-856-0836 


GIBBS 

ASSOCIATES 

Mining M ining 

and 

Geoscience 

software s o oftwarr 

e information infoo 

rmation 

and ann 

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analysis for commercial an and nd public domain software. 

PO Box 706 | Boulder, 

CO | 80306-0706 

| P. . (303) 444-6032 

Email. 

mining@miningsoftware.com 

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ng@miin 

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com 

www.miningsoftware.com 

www. .minings software.com 


mining industry is provided by Montana Tech’s faculty, graduate 

students and undergrads within the Undergraduate 

Research Program (URP). The Bright Prism program aims to 

assist the mining industry by finding, training and establishing 

long-term relationships with the most talented and 

enthusiastic high-school science and math teachers (i.e. 

bright prisms) so that Montana Tech will be a first-priority 

consideration for continuing the education of high schools’ 

brightest and most gifted students. Much of the training 

occurs on-site at many of the mining operations in Montana. 

Montana Tech’s reputation for educational excellence has 

in part relied on its ability to attract and retain exceptional 

Fickler Oil Company, Inc. 

Dave Cerise 

Lubricants Sales Manager 1480 Continental Dr. 

Butte, MT 59701 

Phone: (406) 782 0616 

Fax: (406) 782 0260 

Cell: (406) 490 3891 

dcerise@montana.com

faculty. The Foundation’s efforts help enhance and enrich the teaching 

and research activities of the faculty, and encourage increased 

scholarship opportunities for potential students so that cost will no 

longer be the primary reason students do not embark on their college 

career or leave prematurely. Enrollment in the Mining 

Engineering program and related degrees is currently at 309. 

Conversations between the Montana Mining Association and the 

Montana Tech Foundation culminated in the formalization of scholarship 

support which began over twenty years ago. In July, 2007, an 

agreement was signed between the association and the Foundation 

establishing The Montana Mining Association’s Gary Langley 

Memorial Scholarship. At time of signing, the Montana Mining 

Association said, “It was established to ensure professionals are available 

for the mineral industry of tomorrow.” 

Faculty and student support are the means with which you can 

ensure the availability of professionals for the mineral industry, 

today and tomorrow. If you would like more information on how 

you can ensure this future resource, please contact Juliann Crnich at 

406-496-4277 or jcrnich@mtech.edu. � 

Yes! I / we are pleased to assist students who are pursuing a career in the mineral industry. 

Named Endowment – $10,000 

School of Mines Scholarship Endowment – $5,000-$7,500 

Other – _______________________________________________________ 

Amount Enclosed $_______________________________________________ 

Pledge (to be paid later) $_________________________________ (1-5 Years) 

NAME__________________________________________________________ 

SIGNATURE_____________________________________________________ 

We deeply appreciate your gift and your commitment to the advancement of education at Montana Tech. Please return this form with your 

payment. You will receive a receipt promptly acknowledging your contribution. All gifts are tax deductible as allowed by law. 

MontanaTech 

FOUNDATION 


CONNECTING THE DOTS 

By Don Allen 

In my years of representing Montana’s 

resource industries, I have seen many 

changes in the way things are done – all of 

them improvements. Resource industries 

including mining, oil and gas, timber, agri- 


culture and motorized recreation – all of 

which are involved in WETA – have implemented 

more and more best practices in 

their operations. 

Mining can certainly hold its head high for 

achieving higher environmental standards. 

However, challenges continue to grow in a 

number of familiar ways: The Endangered 

Species Act, stricter water and air quality standards, 

lawsuits by groups who do not want to 

see development of our resources, and now 

‘climate change’. Regardless of one’s views 

on climate change, it has become part of the 

political equation and industry needs to be 

at the table. Climate change advocates are 

using it to seek changes in how we live, work, 

use our land and water and just about everything 

else. 

The Montana Mining Association is to be 

congratulated for taking some very positive 

steps in building relationships with state government 

agencies and the public. Other 

resource industries have also initiated various 

educational programs to communicate 

with leaders and citizens about the importance 

of their respective industries. WETA’s 

501(c) (3) non-profit foundation, the Western 

Education Foundation for Resources, Inc., 

has run radio and TV ads in an effort to educate 

the public about the positive role our 

natural resource industries play in the economics 

of communities and the state. 

Still, we must do more. I believe one of 

our biggest challenges is to connect the dots 

between what people consume and their 

understanding of where it all comes from.

Most people do not make the connection 

between what they use, enjoy and depend 

on in their daily lives, and the fact that the 

products they are using/consuming originated 

in a mine, from an oil or gas well, from a 

farm or ranch or from a forest. Many people 

take all of these things for granted, although 

their lives – as they currently live them – 

would come to a screeching halt if suddenly 

the products and services they enjoy were no 

longer available. We have all seen TV ads 

touting plug-in electric cars. However, you 

never see any connection between the facilities 

that produce the electricity, the transmission 

lines that carry the electricity and 

the outlets where the electric cars are 

plugged in. It’s magic! But in reality, it could 

not happen without the materials produced 

from mining. 

Another example of the dots not being 

connected is that without a healthy economy, 

it will be much more difficult to solve 

today’s or tomorrow’s environmental prob- 

lems. Given this country’s, and the world’s, 

current economic situation, it is disappointing 

to hear many leaders insist on “fullstream 

ahead” on a number of environmental 

initiatives. The costs that will be borne by 

the people, and the negative impacts of 

insisting on new, tougher environmental 

requirements, come at a time when we cannot 

really afford them. I can’t think of a more 

important time for all resource industries to 

work together in support of reasonable laws 

and regulations, and to help educate leaders 

and the public about how our industries are 

producing commodities that are vital to our 

future survival. 

Don Allen is the Executive Director of the 

Western Environmental Trade Association 

(WETA). 

WETA, organized in 1976, is a coalition of 

representatives of agriculture, labor, business, 

commercial industry, the scientific community, 

recreation, transportation, and twenty-four 

other trade associations united in promoting 

economic opportunity, environmentally res - 

pon sible economic growth and good family 

wage jobs. 

To learn more about WETA and how to 

become a member: send an e-mail to 

weta@weta-montana.org 

Phone: 406-443-5541 

Address: 2301 Colonial Drive Suite 2A, 

Helena, MT 59601 � 


Hydrologic control for 

current mine and lease by 

modifying surface coal mines 

in southeastern Montana 

As mining operations change and continue 

to expand, the need for hydrologic 

control becomes an integral part of 

mining operations. The purpose of hydrologic 

control is the safe and uninterrupted operation 

of mining activities and the ability to 

contain sediment transported in storm water 

runoff. Surface water control includes flood 

control upstream of mining activities, and 

sediment control downstream of mining 

activities. 

HYDROLOGIC METHODS 

The design of hydrologic structures is 

dependant on the level of protection that 

management desires for the planned mining 

areas. Flood waters entering the mining area 

cause several potential concerns to the mine 

operation including personnel safety, equipment 

damage, the inability to mine while 

Reclaimed postmining channel, southeastern Montana. 


water is being pumped out, and unstable 

highwalls where the flow of water has 

entered the pit. Typically, flood control structures 

should be designed to provide protection 

for at least a 100-year, 24-hour precipitation 

event. This is the amount of precipitation 

occurring over a 24-hour period that statistically 

may be exceeded once every 100 

years, or has a one in 100 chance that it will 

be exceeded during any given year. 

The MDEQ requires that sediment control 

structures have the capacity to contain runoff 

from the 10-year, 24-hour storm as well as 

the three year sediment volume, which is 

0.02 acre-feet/acre for the disturbed, contributing 

areas. The sediment control structure 

must also be capable of passing the 25year, 

24-hour flood through the spillway with 

minimal erosion. If a sediment control structure 

is greater than 20 acre-feet, then the 

spillway is required to pass the 100-year, 24hour 

peak discharge. 

Hydrologic Analysis 

The SEDCAD model uses a form of the 

Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly 

SCS) Triangular Hydrograph Method, 

and is a parametric method of estimating 

flood peaks and runoff volumes from sitespecific 

data. The program uses the watershed 

area, time of concentration, SCS Curve 

Number and a unit hydrograph response 

shape to estimate the corresponding hydrograph. 

Watershed routing is accomplished 

utilizing the Muskingum method. 

Sediment Analysis 

The SEDCAD model calculates the 

expected sediment transport within the 

watershed utilizing a modified form of the 

Revised Uniform Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). 

The model develops a sedimentgraph utilizing 

eroded soil particle size distribution, soil 

erodibility factor (K), representative slope 

length, representative slope, type of soil 

cover and control practices. 

HYDROLOGIC 

CONTROL METHODS 

Containment options provide flood control 

by establishing reservoirs upstream from 

the mining area. Sediment control is provided 

by establishing the reservoir downstream 

of the mining area. The size of the reservoir 

is based on a hydrologic analysis. Reservoirs 

fall into two size classifications: Mine Safety 

and Health Administration (MSHA) or Non- 

MSHA. MSHA-regulated reservoirs meet at 

least one of the following criteria: 

Greater than 20 acre-feet (ac-ft) of capacity 

and impound water to an elevation of five

Sediment control dam under construction, southeastern Montana. 

feet or more above the upstream toe of the 

structure; and/or 

Impound water to an elevation of 20 feet 

or more above the upstream toe. 

The MDEQ regulates all reservoirs constructed 

at a mine site. Depending on height 

and capacity, the DNRC may also require a 

hazard determination. Any dam or reservoir 

that can, or will, impound to the crest of the 

dam 50 acre-feet or more requires a DNRC 

hazard determination. Reservoirs regulated 

by MSHA require a detailed design report that 

includes the hydrologic studies, geotechnical 

investigation and analysis, embankment 

geometry description, spillway design, and 

construction monitoring. MSHA regulated 

structures also require weekly monitoring. 

CONCLUSION 

Containment alternatives require longterm 

operation and maintenance (O&M) 

considerations. Depending on the reservoir 

size and regulatory requirements, inspections 

are required weekly (maximum) to 

annually (minimum). In order to maintain 

the necessary design capacity, containment 

structures must be dewatered after runoff 

events. It is important to remember that 

proper hydrologic control techniques save 

lives, facilitate mining activities and protect 

our natural resources. 

WWC Engineering (WWC) is a full service, 

multi-disciplinary engineering firm that has 

been serving the energy industry in the Rocky 

Mountain region since 1980. For over 25 years 

WWC has been assisting mining clients in 

designing, developing and permitting mine 

plans and reclamation plans. WWC’s services 

cover the full spectrum of issues facing the 

mining industry today, including initial planning 

and lease acquisition, baseline studies, 

design of mining and reclamation plans, 

preparation of permit application documents, 

design of facilities to support operations, compliance 

monitoring, surveying, construction 

administration and bond release evaluation 

studies after mining is completed. WWC has 

worked with the largest and most progressive 

surface mines in the world, and has been serving 

many of these mines since their earliest 

years of operation. WWC has supported clients 

on mining projects located in Montana, 

Wyoming, Colorado, Tennessee, Louisiana, 

and Texas, as well as Australia. � 


STILLWATER MINING COMPANY: 

Committed to 

environmental sustainability 

Stillwater Mining Company’s (SMC) proactive environmental stance, 

and its commitment to socially responsible management of its 

operations, has lead to cutting edge innovation and operational partnering 

which continues to be a model for the mining industry. 

WATER TREATMENT AND OPERATIONAL INNOVATION 

East Boulder Mine Water Treatment 

The East Boulder Mine is located near the pristine waters of the 

Boulder River, 32 miles southwest of Big Timber. The mine operates in 

a glacier-carved mountain valley in the Beartooth Mountains, where 

the East Boulder River forms the boundary of the permit area on the 

east and north sides. Protection of the East Boulder River is the number 

one priority within the environmental stewardship program at the 

East Boulder Mine. For more than ten years, since mining began, the 

East Boulder Mine has had no measurable impact on the surface 

water quality within the East Boulder River. 

Water management and water treatment at the East Boulder Mine 

is defined by a tradition of innovation. In 2008, the East Boulder Mine 

continued this tradition with additional improvements to the water 

treatment systems. Systems already in place include the mine water 

recycle system (80 to 90 percent water recycle/re-use), biological denitrification 

(biological treatment of nitrate), biological nitrification 

(treatment of ammonia), land application, and snowmaking. The biological 

treatment systems are very efficient in nitrate and ammonia 

removal. However, during the winter months colder water temperatures 

tend to inhibit biological activity and result in a moderate loss of 

treatment efficiency. During 2008, the East Boulder Mine installed a 

heat exchanger/boiler system that maintains a minimum water temperature 

of 12 degrees Celsius (53.6°F) throughout the biological treatment 

cells. The resulting biological water treatment during the 08/09 


Denitrification System at the East Boulder Mine. 

Aerial of Stillwater Mine. 

winter season (measured in percent nitrogen removed) has exceeded 

99 percent, and has set a new standard for winter time removal efficiencies 

at the mine site. 

Looking forward into 2009, the East Boulder Mine is currently in the 

process of designing a reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment system 

that would function as a polishing cell or a backup system for the biological 

treatment systems. The RO system would have the flexibility to 

be used for mine water treatment or tailings water treatment in order 

to maintain the proper water balance, both in the underground mine 

and in the surface tailings storage facility. Improvements such as these 

further demonstrate Stillwater Mining Company’s commitment to the 

environment, and will help guarantee long-term protection of the surface 

water resources within the East Boulder valley. 

Stillwater Tertiary Treatment 

for Septic Waste Water 

The Stillwater Mine near Nye, Montana is located adjacent to the 

Stillwater River and is approximately two miles north of the Absaroka- 

Beartooth Wilderness Area. The Stillwater River flows through more 

than twenty miles of wilderness before spilling out into the rolling 

prairie and forested canyons along its 45 mile journey to the 

Yellowstone River near the town of Columbus. 

In order to protect surface water and groundwater resources within 

the Stillwater Valley, SMC made a decision to replace the existing septic 

and leach field system with a state-of-the-art AdvanTex Treatment 

System for wastewater treatment. The AdvanTex Treatment System is 

a multiple-pass, packed bed aerobic wastewater treatment technology 

specifically designed and engineered for long-term processing of 

wastewater. The treatment system utilizes textile media and naturallyoccurring 

microorganisms to biologically treat the wastewater. The

Biological control, part of the 

Weed Management Partnership. 

system is designed to re-circulate water through the treatment pods to 

achieve maximum treatment efficiency. Following treatment that 

includes ultraviolet water disinfection, Stillwater pumps the treated 

effluent to its existing Land Application System, where the treated 

wastewater is mixed with treated mine water, and land-applied via 

pivots to approximately 250 acres of pasture (owned and managed by 

Stillwater). Although considerably more expensive, Stillwater voluntarily 

elected to implement best-available technology to manage and 

treat waste water in an environmentally responsible and protective 

manner in order to safeguard the Stillwater River and groundwater 

sources down-gradient of the mine. 

PARTNERING – THE SOCIALLY 

RESPONSIBLE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS 

The Upper Stillwater 

Weed Management Partnership 

The Upper Stillwater Weed Management Partnership was formed in 

2005 to cooperatively and aggressively target weed management in 

the Upper Stillwater River Valley. The Partnership is composed of the 

U.S. Forest Service, Stillwater County Weed District, Montana 

Department of State Lands, the Stillwater Mine, and local land owners. 

This cooperative weed district encompasses approximately 20 

square miles on either side of the Stillwater River starting at the 

wilderness boundary. 

The Partnership has been awarded a $250,000 Federal Grant to 

maximize weed control efforts in the management area over a threeyear 

period. The grant required at least 50 percent in matching funds, 

which Stillwater Mining Company provided through the documentation 

of ongoing environmental management activities occurring at the 

mine site totaling in excess of the $125,000. The focus of the efforts 

utilized a wide range of weed eradication and control technologies 

that included the placement of biological control insects, helicopter 

and backpack spraying, specialized chemical applications within the 

riparian corridor adjacent to the Stillwater River, and GPS weed mapping 

with long-term periodic assessments, just to name a few. 

Stillwater Mine feels fortunate to have been able to support and participate 

in this innovative and progressive approach to district-wide 

weed management control. 

Site overview. 

THE GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENT (GNA) 

The GNA is a legally binding contract between the Stillwater Mining 

Company and the Northern Plains Resource Council (a grassroots family 

farm and conservation organization). The agreement protects and 

enhances the region's quality of life while providing for responsible 

economic development. In its ninth year of implementation, the 

agreement continues to evolve from both an environmental and 

social perspective, and remains a model for responsible social change 

by eliminating the “Culture of Conflict” and initiating a productive 

venue for change and cooperation. � 

Stillwater Palladium 

makes more possible... 

Providing Employment Opportunities 

Stillwater Mining has been providing employment opportunities in Montana for more than twenty 

years. We currently employ over 1,600 people in a variety of careers and offer acompetitive wage, 

excellent health benefits, 401-K retirement plan, incentive bonuses and other benefits including 

transportation to mine sites. 

Stillwater Mining Company also offers training programs that are a model for the industry. The 

foundation for the training programs is our “Guide, Educate and Train (GET) Safe” process. 

We believe jobs at competitive wages and benefits along with the training programs 

contribute to quality workforce opportunities in Montana. 

www.stillwatermining.com | www.stillwaterpalladium.com 


Made in 

MONTANA 

When you think of mining in Montana, talc may not be the first 

thing that comes to mind even though this unique mineral is 

prevalent in many Montana industries. Luzenac talc, mined and 

processed by Rio Tinto Minerals, is used by many companies for a 

variety of applications, many of which contribute to a better environment. 

One of the primary markets for Rio Tinto’s talc is for pitch and 

stickies control in the manufacture of paper and cardboard. When 

trees (known to pulp mills as “virgin fiber”) are converted to wood 

pulp, the fibers are torn apart and the sap is released. The oiladsorbing 

facets of the talc crystals have a high affinity to sap, so 

when talc is introduced, millions of finely-ground talc particles surround 

and coat each tiny drop of sap. This prevents the drops from 

sticking together and forming big sticky globs, and thereby damaging 

the machinery. Talc also replaces some of the fiber in the paper, 

meaning fewer trees need to be harvested. 

Many paper products are made from recycled wood fiber, such as 

the liner board (cardboard) made in the Frenchtown, MT plant 


P.O. Box 50370 • Billings, MT 59105 

1-800-999-6676 

www.westate.com 

The plastic and/or rubber insulation found on copper electrical wire and 

high voltage cable often contains talc produced from Rio Tinto Minerals. 

owned by Smurfit-Stone Container. For this use, the stickies have an 

opposite electrical charge, requiring the talc charge to be reversed. 

Under the Luzenac brand, Rio Tinto Minerals invented two products 

that meet this need and make this type of production possible. 

Moving on to agriculture, Montana is one of the largest U.S. producers 

of certified seed potatoes, producing around 3.5 million 

pounds yearly from areas around Manhattan, Dillon, Polson, 

Kalispell and Toston. These areas have short summers, cold winters, 

and most importantly, are isolated and contain very little disease 

vectors. The seed spuds are shipped to Washington, Idaho, Oregon, 

Wisconsin, Michigan, North and South Dakota, where they are replanted 

the next season and grown to maturity. Talc is used to coat 

Maximizing Performance 

Nordberg MP Series Cone Crushers 

With fi eld-proven technology in demanding 

mining operations, the MP800 and MP1000 

provide higher productivity and effi ciency: 

• Uniformity – rotating bowl compensates for 

uneven feed rates 

• Adaptability – operates at various speeds and 

cavity combinations 

• Reliability – hydraulic cavity clearing and setting 

adjustments minimize downtime 

• Simplicity – push-button disassembly for 

routine maintenance 

Call Westate Machinery today for more information 

www.metsominerals.com

the seed potatoes to keep them from sticking in the planting 

machines where they are cut, quartered and returned to the ground. 

Talc is also used in many types of plastic and rubber compounds, 

adding rigidity, impact resistance, dimensional stability, and reducing 

permeability. The plastic and/or rubber insulation found on copper 

electrical wire and high voltage cable often contains talc; some 

of this copper is produced in Montana by Montana Resources (Butte, 

MT), Stillwater Mining Company (Columbus, MT) and Revett Silver 

(Troy, MT). 

In a very environmentally-friendly function, talc is being used in 

the production of catalytic converters due to its dimensional stability 

at high temperatures. Automobiles use these converters to burn 

harmful pollutants from the exhaust system and convert them into 

harmless emissions such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. 

The core of the converter is a ceramic honeycomb substrate; the 

honeycomb provides a large surface area for this process to take 

place. The honeycomb is coated with platinum and palladium 

metal, the catalysts that spur the combustion reaction. Platinum and 

palladium are mined and smelted by the only U.S. producer of these 

important metals, Stillwater Mining Company near Columbus, MT. 

Other automotive uses of talc include high performance polymers 

for the interior. Again, the dimensional stability of talc at high temperatures 

is an important property that allows auto manufacturers 

to attain a high quality fit and finish of interior parts. Under the 

Luzenac brand, Rio Tinto Minerals has developed advanced grades 

Intermountain West Energy 

150 Sheep Camp Road 

Whitehall, MT 59759-9647 

Phone: 406.287.3229 

Chris Hyle 

Technical / Sales Representative 

Cell: 406.490.3059 

iweblaster@aol.com 

of talc that reduce the overall weight of vehicles by “down-gauging” 

the thickness of parts including rubber tires and under-the-hood 

plastics and rubber. Lighter vehicles mean improved fuel mileage 

and lower emissions. 

As you can see, many of talc’s uses are quite ‘green’. When talc is 

combined with other raw materials, several of them “Made In 

Montana”, we improve the environment by reducing waste, making 

recycling more efficient, reducing air pollution and/or reducing fuel 

consumption and emissions. 

About Rio Tinto Minerals 

Rio Tinto Minerals operates a talc mine and two milling/packaging 

facilities in Montana and employs 140 people. The Yellowstone Mine 

is located 20 miles south of Ennis, MT in southern Madison County; 

annually, it supplies about 300,000 tons of crude ores to the Three 

Forks Mill and Sappington Mill, both located in western Gallatin 

County. The talc ores are pulverized and packaged at the mills and 

then shipped to customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, 

Indonesia and Europe, serving the paper, rubber, paint, polymers, 

agriculture and ceramics markets. 

The operations have been a subsidiary of Rio Tinto (the world’s 

third largest mining company) for the last 15 years, operating under 

the banner of the Luzenac talc group since 1992. In 2006, Luzenac 

joined forces with two Rio Tinto sister companies – Borax and Dampier 

– to form Rio Tinto Minerals. � 

TETRA TECH 

Supporting the 

Montana Mining Industry 

since 1959 

Environmental Engineering Consulting 

Billings 

406.248.9161 

Bozeman 

406.582.8780 

Helena 

406.443.5210 

Missoula 

406.543.3045 


American Mining 

Insurance Company: 

Insurance from people who know mining 

American Mining has recently started writing insurance in several 

additional western states including Montana. We may be new to 

Montana, but we’ve specialized in providing insurance protection to 

the mining industry since 1989. As American Mining has grown and 

expanded geographically, it has become the preferred provider of 

insurance coverages to many within the mining and aggregates industries. 

Offering primarily Workers’ Compensation insurance, American 

Mining also provides General Liability, Pollution Liability, Commercial 

Automobile and Umbrella coverage. 

In 2007, American Mining became a part of the W. R. Berkley 

Corporation (NYSE: BER). As a part of the W. R. Berkley Corporation, 

American Mining Insurance Company has even greater financial 

strength, an A. M. Best rating of A+ (Superior), and the ability to grow 

and expand into additional states. This expansion includes significant 

growth in the western United States, including Montana. 


Though American Mining is a recent addition to the W. R. Berkley 

Corporation, the leadership remains the same and continues to show a 

long-term commitment to the company and to the mining industry. 

Chandler F. Cox, Jr., American Mining's president and chief executive 

officer, and Dominick Giovannelli, its executive vice president and chief 

financial officer, co-founded American Mining in 1989 and each have 

over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. 

William R. Berkley, chairman of the board and chief executive officer 

of W. R. Berkley Corporation, says, “The operations of American 

Mining have a special expertise in addressing the insurance needs of 

the mining operations marketplace, and should benefit from the additional 

resources that W. R. Berkley Corporation can offer.” 

This expertise extends throughout the company. Many employees 

have been with American Mining since 1989. Others have been in the 

insurance industry for decades. Still others have experience with both

mining and insurance, having worked in the mining industry before 

joining American Mining. Many employees have taken mine tours to 

better understand the complex world of both surface and underground 

mining, while others have a long family history of mining. 

American Mining Insurance Company distributes insurance products 

through a network of local independent insurance agents, and 

offers insurance coverage for the following types of mines: sand and 

gravel, coal, copper, rock quarries, gold and silver, clay, shale, and limestone. 

Please visit www.AmericanMining.com to learn more. 

Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance hold- 

ing company that is among the largest commercial lines writers in the 

United States and operates in five segments of the property casualty 

insurance business: specialty insurance, regional property casualty 

insurance, alternative markets, reinsurance, and international. W. R. 

Berkley Corporation is a Fortune 500 Company listed on the New York 

Stock Exchange under the symbol BER. � 


DYWIDAG-SYSTEMS 

INTERNATIONAL 

DUO Speed Resin 

Martinsburg, WV – DSI Mining Ameri - 

cas is the first to offer two different 

resin speeds in the same cartridge to the 

North America market with the DUO 

Speed offering from DSI – FASLOC. 

DSI, the global leader in ground support 

technologies, developed the DUO Speed 

product to meet the demands of the 

Australian market. It was successfully 

launched in the fall of 2008 and early in 

2009, DSI is now offering the DUO Speed 

product to the North American marketplace. 

DSI – FASLOC is the premium resin global 

producer and a leader in global resin 

technology, with over 30 years of resin 

development experience. Having developed 

the DUO Speed product to provide 

solutions for improved materials handling 

during the roof bolting process and for 

reductions in inventory at the request of 

key customers, a rigorous development 

and testing program has been ongoing to 

ensure that the improved resin meets and 

exceeds the needs of the coal and metal 

mining industries. 

The fast and slow resins were formerly 

provided in separate cartridges. Now fast 

and slow resins can be provided in one 

convenient cartridge, simplifying inventory, 

reducing material to be transported 

underground, and reducing bolting cycle 

times. 

The new resins further maximize load 

transfer at the bolt rock interface by improving 

the frictional fit rather than solely seeking 

high compressive values in the cured resin. 


DUO 

Speed has 

the following 

features: 

Designed specifically for the mining 

and tunneling industries. 

Cartridges are viscosity matched for specific 

bolting applications. 

The fast and slow resins are identified by 

color so the cartridge can be properly 

oriented during installation. 

The new resins are designed to maximize 

load transfer at the bolt rock interface 

by improving the frictional fit rather 

than solely seeking high compressive 

values in the cured resin. 

DUO Speed has the following customer 

benefits: 

Easier inventory management. 

Less material to transport to the working 

face. 

Simpler to install. 

Time savings per installation. 

Currently DUO Speed is offered in the 

following configurations: 

A-Series Tension Rebar Applications (3/4 

inch bolt – 1 inch hole). 

B-Series Tension Rebar Applications (5/8 

inch bolt – 1 inch hole). 

H-Series Tension Rebar Applications (7/8 

inch bolt – 1-3/8 inch hole). 

DSI technical service representatives are 

backed by local teams of engineers who 

have immediate access to the latest worldwide 

technology through the DSI global 

network, and are able to provide a more 

complete ground support service with in 

house laboratory resin testing and 24-hour 

access to a library of lineage traceable 

retained resin samples. 

The new DSI resins are in stock and 

available now; please contact your 

nearest DSI technical service representative 

for information, call (800) 

332-3338 or visit the website are 

www.dsiminingproducts.com. �

DSI the Global Technology 

Ground Support Leader 

DYWIDAG Systems International (DSI), a market leader in mining products for over thirty years brings the mining 

and tunneling industry an improved line of resin products to compliment their full-service line of mine support 

products. DUO Speed Resin has been designed to incorporate two distinct resins, one fast and one slow, in a 

single cartridge. Now fast and slow resins can be provided in one convenient cartridge, simplifying inventory, 

reducing material to be transported underground, and reducing bolting cycle times. 

Designed specifically for the mining and tunneling industries 

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rather than solely seeking high compressive values in the cured resin 

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Local Presence – Global Competence MINING SYSTEMS 

www.dsiminingproducts.com 

Mechanical Rock Bolts 

Extension Bolts 

Stelpipe Bolts 

Rebar Rock Bolts 

Cable Bolts 

Friction Stabilizers & 

Expandable Bolts 

Trusses & Slings 

Fiberglass Bolts 

Resins & 

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High Performance Grouts 

Drilling Fluids 

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E-Mail: dsimining@dsimining.com

Holcim’s Trident plant 

continues to remain productive 

Maintains strong focus on product quality, 

safety initiatives and environmental protection 

Holcim’s Trident Cement Plant in Three 

Forks has been gearing up to celebrate 

its centenary in 2010. The plant has stood at 

the headwaters of the Missouri River for 

nearly 100 years; a century before the construction 

of the plant, Lewis and Clark’s epic 

journey brought the explorers to the 


Headwaters Corridor, an event mentioned in 

William Clark’s journal, where he also commented 

on the massive limestone formations 

in the area. In the years since, those 

limestone deposits have provided the raw 

material for the millions of metric tons of 

cement the plant has produced over its his- 

tory. That cement product, in turn, has gone 

into the development of much of Montana’s 

infrastructure, providing the basic material 

for many of the region’s roads, bridges, 

buildings and other structures. 

Trident’s products are highly regarded for 

consistency and quality. The plant produces 

traditional ASTM C-150 cements, but is 

actively developing new products including 

its Envirocore family of products, which 

require less energy to produce yet meet the 

high demands of the construction industry. 

In addition to Montana, Trident cement is 

marketed in Wyoming and Idaho and in 

Canada, in the provinces of Alberta and 

Saskatchewan. The plant’s products are marketed 

directly from the plant, as well as 

through a system of distribution terminals 

stretching from Twin Falls, Idaho, to 

Edmonton, Alberta. Customer market segments 

for Holcim cement products include 

ready mix companies, paving contractors, 

block and precast producers, energy (oil) 

development, and mining operations. 

Holcim’s Trident plant has sustained this 

level of productivity with a focus on safety

and a respect for the environment. The 

Trident plant is registered as an ISO 14001 

facility, and has an environmental management 

system in place to help ensure it 

operates efficiently and in compliance 

with all applicable federal, state, local and 

company regulations and standards. As a 

testament to its commitment to worker safety, 

on February 21, 2009, the plant celebrated 

seven years without a lost time accident. 

By increasing the awareness of its life 

saving cardinal rules (see sidebar), Holcim 

continues to work towards “zero harm” 

to anyone. 

While the Holcim Trident plant has a long 

history of contributing to Montana’s growth 

and the region’s development overall, the 

company’s vision is to continue to provide 

HOLCIM: SAFETY FIRST 

CARDINAL RULES ARE LIFE SAVING RULES 

foundations for society’s future, while 

reducing its emissions and its ecological 

footprint. It seeks to achieve this goal by 

ensuring a more efficient and sustainable 

use of its products. 

One example of this commitment to 

sustainable development is the company’s 

worldwide goal of reducing CO 2 emissions 

by 20 percent by the year 2010, compared 

to 1990-level emissions. The Trident plant’s 

parent company, Holcim Ltd., is active in several 

prestigious environmental organizations 

including Chair of the Energy and Climate 

Working Group of the World Business 

Council on Sustainable Develop ment; Chair 

of the Climate Change Task force, Cement 

Sustainability Initiative; member of the 

Pew Center on Global Climate Change; and 

charter member of the EPA’s Climate Leaders 

Program. 

In the first half of each year, the company 

shuts the plant down for routine maintenance 

for a period of approximately two 

weeks. During this time, many wear parts 

are replaced and repairs to worn components 

on the crusher, raw mill and kiln systems 

are completed, in order to ensure the 

plant continues to operate efficiently for the 

remainder of the year. 

If anyone is interested coming to the plant 

to see Holcim’s process and meet 

Holcim’s people, please contact 

Mike Mullaney at 

406-285-4970 or at 

mike.mullaney@holcim.com. � 

Cardinal Rules 

1.Do not override or interfere with any safety provision, nor allow anyone else to override or interfere with them. 

2.PPE rules, applicable to a given task, must be adhered to at all times. 

3.Isolation and lock out procedures must always be followed. Life Saving 

4.No person may work if under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

5.All injuries and incidents must be reported. 

Rules 


Mighty tough – 

THE ALL-NEW MT6300AC FROM TEREX IS HERE 

Terex continues to build its legacy as a pioneer and innovator in the 

mining truck industry. It’s this dedication to innovation that has 

led the company to become the only large-truck manufacturer that 

offers a complete line of AC drive trucks. Take, for example, the 

MT6300AC – the massive, powerful new hauler from Terex and the 

world’s first true 400-ton (363-tonne) haul truck. Its entirely unique 

design was conceived from the ground up, it’s not based on or modified 

from an existing truck model. 

“If you want to give customers a unique, unparalleled truck, you 

have to create one,” says Harry Bussmann, vice president of Terex 

Mining. “That’s what we’ve done with this outstanding truck. The 

MT6300AC truly stands alone as a leading hauler.” 

The MT6300AC offers customers an incredible array of features and 

benefits, most notably its industry-leading payload of 400 tons (363 

tonnes). From front to back and top to bottom, the MT6300AC’s design 

gives users unmatched production and hauling capabilities — as well 

as an unforgettable operator experience. 

What, exactly, goes into making the MT6300AC such an innovative 

hauler? See for yourself: 

A solid foundation 

The MT6300AC is built to take on the harshest environments and 

most challenging conditions—including demanding oil sands operations. 

So Terex gave it the exceptional ground clearance of up to 36 

inches (91 cm) for the front axle when fully loaded. In addition, its 

proven suspension is designed to perform under the most severe and 

challenging road conditions. At the same time, the MT6300AC also features 

a low center of gravity, enhancing safety and stability. 

On the right track 

When it comes to drive systems, the MT6300AC isn’t just best in class; 

it’s the only one of its kind in class. The MT6300AC’s drive system and 

its triple-reductive rear wheel enables the hauler to pull away from the 

shovel more quickly and easily. 

Take a load off 

The MT6300AC features a hybrid, high-efficiency dump body, highlighted 

by a unique curvature design for its front, floor and canopy, 

which facilitates easier dumping. It also features an innovative heat 

option, which makes discharging sticky material like oil sands easier. 

Life expectancy is estimated to be 40,000 hours. Specially designed runners 

within the body design transfer weight to the frame, and joint isolation 

helps reinforce the body’s welded areas. Taken as a whole, the 

MT6300AC’s dump body design is ready for heavy-duty action. 


Operator comforts 

As rugged as it is on the outside, the MT6300AC is as refined on the 

inside, offering customers a larger, longer cab. It gives operators noticeably 

more legroom, thanks to two full-size adjustable seats, plenty of 

storage, power windows, integral ROPS, a curved windshield and a 

peripheral visibility range of 191 degrees. 

The power is yours 

The MT6300AC is a class leader in more than just ground clearance. 

It’s also head of its class in the power department, behind the strength 

and stamina of its MTU/Detroit Diesel® C Series engine, which cranks 

out 3,750 hp (2,796 kW). That’s a full 250 hp (186 kW) more than its 

competition. 

Inside and out, the MT6300AC stands ready to make a huge impact 

on the hauler market. It truly is, as Bussmann describes it, “an innovative, 

impressive truck. We’re eager for the world to experience it firsthand.” 

No other company offers the haul truck options and performance 

capabilities that Terex does. There’s more to successful mining than just 

mining. You also need to move what you mine off-site quickly, efficiently 

and in large amounts. Terex understands this, which is why, no 

matter what size the mining operation, we design and manufacture 

haul trucks that have been setting the industry standard and meeting 

our customers’ specific challenges. 

About Terex 

Terex Corporation is a diversified global manufacturer with 2007 net 

sales of more than $9.1 billion. Terex operates in four business segments: 

Terex Aerial Work Platforms, Terex Construction, Terex Cranes 

and Terex Materials Processing & Mining. Terex manufactures a broad 

range of equipment for use in various industries, including the construction, 

infrastructure, quarrying, mining, shipping, transportation, 

refining, and utility industries. Terex offers a complete line of financial 

products and services to assist in the acquisition of Terex equipment 

through Terex Financial Services. More information on Terex can be 

found at www.terex.com. 

Terex Mining 5601 Granite Parkway, Ste. 500, Plano, TX, 75024, USA 

www.terexmining.com. 

Further contact information: 

Lou McDuffy, Marketing Services Manager 

Terex Mining 

5601 Granite Parkway, Ste. 500 

Plano, TX, 75024 USA 

(972) 265-7110 �

MOVING YOU TOWARD 

GREATER PRODUCTIVITY 

When it comes to effi ciently moving materials off mining sites, Terex ® Unit Rig haul trucks deliver time and again. 

Providing a complete line of AC drive trucks with payload capacities ranging from 150 to 400 tons (136 to 363 tonnes), 

Terex Unit Rig, an industry innovator, manufactures the MT6300AC, the fi rst 400-ton (363-tonne) truck built from the 

ground up. Terex ® Unit Rig haul trucks are prepared to move you to greater levels of productivity. 

TEREX MINING. TOGETHER, WE WORK. 

Terex ® Unit Rig Haul Trucks 

All Terex ® Unit Rig haul trucks feature an advanced beam-axle suspension, which helps ensure 

long frame life, very low maintenance requirements, high productivity, a roomy cab and a smooth 

ride. Other rugged design features on the Terex ® Unit Rig family of haul trucks include: 

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Terex ® is a registered trademark of Terex Corporation in the United States of America and many other countries. ©2008 Terex Corporation. 

Interstate PowerSystems is an authorized distributor of Terex Mining products.

At Revett’s Troy Mine, 

dedicated employees 

are the key to success 

By Carson Rife 

During the fourth quarter of 2008 and 

the first quarter of 2009, Revett officials 

were shown what their employees at 

the Troy Mine were really made of. As the 

world and U.S. economies headed into crisis 

mode, global manufacturing and construction 

came to a halt followed quickly 

by abrupt declines in copper and silver 

prices. Numerous mines across the country 

were either cutting back production and 

laying off employees, or shutting operations 

down completely. 

Due to the plummeting metal prices in 

the last half of 2008, Revett incurred 

approximately $11 million in negative 

price adjustments in concentrate sales, 

which quickly consumed working capital. 

The future was not looking good. What was 

the reaction of the Troy employees to all of 

this? Quite simply, their reaction was, 

“Okay, we know that times are tough, but 

what do we need to do to continue operations?” 

and “Tell us what we need to do.” 

We reviewed the options, considered 

the prospects of future metal prices, and 

decided to take a gamble. The single 

biggest factor in our final decision was the 

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Chemical Montana Company 

2000 Boulder Avenue Helena, MT 59601 

(406) 442-8900 • Fax (406) 442-8035 

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LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED 

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considerable progress made by the Troy 

employees in increasing production and 

reducing costs in the fourth quarter while 

maintaining proper focus on safety. This 

tipped the scales toward a decision to continue 

operations. Our feeling was, if we 

could make it through the first quarter of 

2009, metal prices might recover enough 

to justify continuing operations. In a nutshell, 

we decided that our company was 

worth fighting for. Our employees are The 

Company, and they definitely are worth

fighting for. Obviously, employees did not 

want to quit, so the decision was made to 

“go for it”. 

Firstly, on December 12th, due to the 

uncertainty brought about by the metal 

price collapse, a required 60-day notice 

was given to all our employees under the 

Worker Adjustment and Retraining 

Notification (WARN) Act that “operations 

may be placed on care and maintenance if 

metal prices remain at currently depressed 

levels”. Also, a 10 percent “across the 

board” wage reduction for all employees at 

Troy (coupled with a 20 percent reduction 

at the corporate level) was implemented. 

Comments were solicited from employees 

for any possible ideas to reduce costs and 

improve production. An action plan was 

put together and the results have been significant. 

Secondly, we met with our concentrate 

buyer and worked out an agreement for 

repayment of the remaining amount owed 

(approximately $4 million). Meetings were 

held with employees to discuss cost control 

and production improvement details. The 

employees have held up to their end of the 

bargain and then some. 

The chart on the preceding page shows 

monthly ore production (tons per day) and 

operating costs ($ per ton) during the last 

half of 2008 and through January of 2009. 

As the chart clearly shows, we have reason 

to remain optimistic about the future 

of the Troy Mine. While much work 

remains to be done and the company is in 

the process of soliciting additional financing, 

we remain hopeful. What better “economic 

stimulus” can there be than continuing 

to keep existing employees working to 

produce the minerals required for preserving 

the quality of life that we’ve all come 

to expect? 

While there certainly are no guarantees 

as we move forward, we strongly believe in 

our employees and therefore in the future 

at Troy. Given the remaining reserve base 

of approximately six years and additional 

exploration potential around the mine, if 

copper and silver prices hold at current 

levels and eventually return to higher levels, 

the Troy mine could be in operation 

for many years to come. 

The Troy Mine is operated by Genesis, 

Inc., a subsidiary of Revett Silver. The underground 

copper-silver mine is located 15 

miles southwest of Troy in Lincoln County, 

and employs about 180 workers. The company 

has fully funded all reclamation obligations 

and Montana DEQ holds a reclamation 

bond in the amount of $12.9 million. 

Revett has completed the permitting of 

the Rock Creek Mine, located nearby in 

Sanders County, and is in the final stages of 

litigating opposition brought by a number 

of environmental groups. Revett has provided 

interim funding for the hiring of two 

MFWP employees as a key part of the Rock 

Creek grizzly bear mitigation plan. Like 

Troy, Rock Creek will be an underground 

copper-silver mine and will employ about 

250 to 300 workers. � 

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The Northwest Mining Association: 

Representing mining interests 

throughout North America 

The Northwest Mining Association 

(NWMA) is a 114-year old non-profit, 

non-partisan trade association boasting 

1,965 members. Founded in Spokane, 

Washington during the early years of the 

Coeur d’Alene Mining District, the association 

was soon supporting the mining industry 

throughout the states of Alaska, Idaho, 

Montana, Oregon and Washington, and 

Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon and 

Northwest Territories in Canada. 

Today, NWMA is a regional association representing 

our members’ interests throughout 

the United States and Canada. NWMA members 

reside in 40 U.S. states, six Canadian 

provinces or territories, and 11 other countries. 

NWMA serves in the role of the state 

mining association for Oregon and 

Washington State, and as the American voice 

for exploration and access to public lands. 

NWMA also works closely with the National 

Mining Association, state mining associations 

in the western United States, and occasionally 

with provincial and regional mining associations 

throughout Canada. 

The NWMA Annual Meeting and 

Exposition, held the first week of December, 

is considered to be one of the preeminent 

annual mining conventions in North 

America featuring short courses, technical, 

legislative and policy sessions, and a 240booth 

trade exposition. The technical program 

emphasizes exploration and development, 

operations, geophysics, metallurgy 

Meeting Meeting the the the Workforce Workforce Training Training 

Needs Needs for for for the the the Extraction Extraction Industry Industry 

Programs in: 

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Call today to learn more about 

courses, certificates and degree programs 


1-800-226-1181 

www.wwcc.wy.edu 

admissions@wwcc.wy.edu 

and environmental technology. The meeting 

has been held every year since 1895, and 

attracts more than 2,000 attendees from all 

over the world. 

NWMA’s objectives are to support and 

advance the mineral resource and related 

industries; represent and inform members 

on technical, legislative and regulatory 

issues; provide for the dissemination of educational 

materials related to mining; and to 

foster and promote economic opportunity 

and environmentally-responsible mining. 

NWMA is recognized as an innovative and 

proactive leader in addressing the needs of 

an increasingly global mining industry. 

Working in concert with the Montana Mining 

Association and other mining associations, 

NWMA has a proven track record in successfully 

influencing the outcome of political dialogue, 

building effective working strategies 

with key elected officials, and developing 

and coordinating industry’s response to legislative 

and regulatory issues. NWMA is also a 

GARDAR G. DAHL JR. 

1595 Riverbend Road 

Superior, MT 59872 

Tel: 406.822.0027 

Fax: 406-822-0027 

Email: gardahl@aol.com

leader in building coalitions with other 

groups representing natural resource producers, 

as well as with people interested in 

multiple-use of public lands and in galvanizing 

grassroots cultures. 

The association’s work on issues of concern 

to its members is conducted through a 

number of standing and ad hoc committees, 

chaired by members who work closely with 

NWMA's dedicated staff. NWMA’s success over 

the years is due to the dedication and commitment 

of such members who voluntarily 

serve on our committees. 

Some of NWMA’s recent accomplishments 

on behalf of its members and the mining 

industry include: 

Helping to lead industry efforts to try to 

defeat chairman Rahall’s Hardrock Mining 

and Recla mation Act of 2007 (H.R. 2262). 

NWMA’s executive director made six teen 

trips to Washington, DC, meeting with 

Members of Congress and their staffs, 

pointing out the problems with H.R. 2262. 

NWMA retained a seasoned and respected 

Washing ton, DC-based government affairs 

representative to assist in these efforts. 

NWMA helped secure a strong Statement 

of Administration Policy (SAP) against H.R. 

2262, which included a recommendation 

by the President’s senior advisors to veto 

the bill should it reach his desk, by providing 

a legal memorandum concluding 

that H.R. 2262’s imposition of a royalty on 

mineral production from existing, valid 

unpatented mining claims is unconstitutional 

and violates the Takings Clause of 

the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. 

Constitution. The legal analysis was 

requested by the House Energy and 

Mineral Resources Minority staff and 

delivered to the White House Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). 

At the request of Senate staff, NWMA produced 

a White Paper rebutting allegations 

of the Pew Campaign for Responsible 

Mining that modern mines are polluting 

the environment and will become tomorrow’s 

abandoned mines. This NWMA 

White Paper clearly demonstrates how 

modern environmental laws and regulations 

governing mining produce fullybonded, 

environmentally responsible 

mines that will not become future abandoned 

mines. 

Provided testimony on Abandoned Mine 

Land issues at the October 2, 2007 House 

Energy and Mineral Resources Sub - 

committee hearing on H.R. 2262, and the 

March 12, 2008 legislative hearing in the 

Senate Energy and Natural Resources 

Committee. 


Worked closely with the Montana Mining 

Association and NWMA members active in 

Montana to convince the Montana 

Department of Environmental Quality to 

oppose a rule that would have required 

all mines in Montana to demonstrate at 

the time an operating permit was granted 

that the mine could be fully reclaimed 

with no active or passive water treatment 

required within two years after the last 

ore was extracted. In announcing 

Montana DEQ’s opposition to the proposed 

rule, Montana DEQ cited the problems 

and reasons raised in NWMA’s comments. 

Worked with the USFS Washington, DC 

office to ensure that draft Environmental 

Impact Statements do not include a 

detailed discussion of bonding or bond 

calculations. 

Produced White Papers (1) demonstrating 

that the environmental provisions of the 

House Mining Law bill (H.R. 2262 now 

H.R. 699) are solutions in search of a 

problem that doesn’t exist; and (2) chronicling 

the evolution of federal and state 

reclamation bonding requirements for 

hardrock exploration and mining projects, 

in order to document how state and 

federal regulators, working with industry, 

have used existing regulatory authorities 

to respond to shortcomings in the reclamation 

bonding program. 

Never an organization to rest on its past 

accomplishments, here are but a few of the 

current issues NWMA is presently working 

on, on behalf of its members: 

CASTINGS, FABRICATION, MACHINING AND FIELD CONSTRUCTION 

1015 East Sixth Street, Anaconda, MT 59711 

Phone: 1-406-563-8494 • Toll Free: 1-800-782-3326 

Visit us on the web: affcomfg.com 


Mining Law – In addition to its work 

opposing H.R. 2262 (the Rahall bill) in 

2007, NWMA is working closely with the 

National Mining Association (NMA) and 

other industry groups to oppose H.R. 699, 

The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation 

Act of 2009 and the recently introduced 

Mining Law bill (S. 796) in the Senate by 

Senate Energy & Natural Resources 

Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D- 

NM). H.R. 699 is identical to H.R. 2262. 

We are working to produce a Mining 

Law alternative to H.R. 699 and S. 796 that 

would ensure a viable domestic mining 

industry. We are providing an on-theground 

voice for the junior mining company 

and exploration sectors of the U.S. mining 

industry, to ensure that any revisions to 

the Mining Law do not overly burden 

exploration and development and that 

access to mineral deposits on public lands 

is protected. 

Our priorities include preventing 

unnecessary withdrawal of lands from mineral 

entry; retaining the right of self-initiation 

and the current mining claim system; 

establishing an abandoned mine land fund 

to address historic abandoned mines; ensuring 

that one has the right to use and occupy 

a mining claim for purposes reasonably incident 

to mining from entry through closure; 

ensuring that any royalty or production payment 

is fair, both to the American public 

and the mining industry; and ensuring that 

claim location and maintenance fees 

remain reasonable, and do not become an 

impediment to exploration. 

Economic Recovery – NWMA is working to 

educate the Administration, Members of 

Congress, the media and the public that 

mining is indispensable to economic 

recovery and energy independence; that 

historically, mining has led the nation out 

of recession and is poised to do it again; 

and that mining provides an economic 

stimulus package that doesn’t require 

deficit spending or cost tax payers a dime. 

Arizona Strip – NWMA has retained 

Mountain States Legal Foundation and 

intervened on behalf of its members in 

Center for Biological Diversity v 

Kempthorne. This lawsuit seeks to compel 

the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw 

more than one million acres from mineral 

entry. The area contains more than 40 

percent of known U.S. uranium deposits. 

NWMA opposes the withdrawal and seeks 

to have the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act’s (FLPMA) emergency 

withdrawal regulations declared unconstitutional. 

More information about these issues can 

be found on NWMA’s website at 

www.nwma.org. The website is kept up-todate 

with the latest news about issues affect 

the domestic mining industry. NWMA has 

proven to be an EFFECTIVE and RESPECTED 

association working hard for you as we provide 

a much needed on-the-ground voice. 

There is no better proof of this than the testimonials 

of some of NWMA’s members: 

“Hecla belongs to NWMA for three main 

reasons: Interaction with great prospectors 

and exploration companies who have activi- 

Ernest K. Lehmann & Associates 

of Montana, Inc. 

Mineral exploration 

Deposit development 

Consulting to the mineral industry 

Contact Ernest Lehmann at: 

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ties around the world might result in Hecla’s 

next mine; the educational value of the 

annual convention is excellent; and the government 

affairs and issues management 

that NWMA provides is unsurpassed. I highly 

recommend membership in NWMA.” 

~Phillips S. Baker, Jr., President and Chief 

Executive Officer, Hecla Mining Company. 

“Even as a junior company without operating 

mines, we are strong supporters of 

NWMA. Originally a regional organization, 

NWMA has grown into a national, vibrant 

role serving producers and explorers alike. It 

fills a void left by state and other national 

mining organizations that tend to cater to 

the larger producers. We would urge all 

those exploring in the United States to 

become a member.” ~Dr. Anthony P. Taylor, 

President and Chief Executive Officer, Gold 

Summit Corporation. 

“I feel it is imperative that our organization 

belong to the NWMA. Membership in 

this dominant mining industry association 

keeps us informed about the American 

©2000-2009 Chevron Products Company, San Ramon, CA. All rights reserved. 

All trademarks are the property of Chevron Intellectual Property LLC. 

mining scene and the current issues and 

challenges it faces. For us the highlight of 

the year is the annual convention; it provides 

a great opportunity to interact with 

other members and learn from the wide 

variety of presentations and lectures...it’s a 

lot of fun!” ~Doug Donnelly, Publisher, The 

Northern Miner. 

“I have been involved with NWMA since 

1978. During that time, I have watched the 

association grow and develop into an effective 

voice for the mining industry across the 

West. Washington Group International is a 

corporate member of the NWMA because 

mining needs this kind of representation at 

Federal and state levels to grow, and the success 

of the industry is important to our corporate 

strategy and success.” ~Ta Li, 

Director Business Development, URS Global 

Mining Partners. 

“The Northwest Mining Association 

(NWMA) provides a unique blend of timely 

information, networking opportunities, and 

effective advocacy on issues important to 

the hardrock mining industry. Exploration 

geologists, mine managers, consultants, 

vendors/suppliers, government affairs specialists, 

and other mining professionals can 

all benefit from belonging to NWMA. Anyone 

with an interest in mining on public lands 

has a compelling reason to join NWMA 

because it is one of the industry’s most 

knowledgeable and effective advocates for 

maintaining access to public lands, and for 

developing reasonable and workable mining 

regulations.” ~ Debra W. Struhsacker, 

Struhsacker Consulting. 

Your membership will help ensure that 

we have the financial resources and membership 

clout to continue to effectively represent 

you on federal issues and support the 

efforts of the Montana Mining Association. 

To find out more about membership, please 

visit http://www.nwma.org/memberinfo.asp 

or call (509) 624-1158. � 

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MINING IN MONTANA 

Helping sustain our economic 

strength during the global 

economic downturn 

By Governor Brian Schweitzer 

Following years of record-breaking economic growth, Montana is 

now feeling the pinch of the economic downturn that 

is impacting the entire nation and beyond. That being said, it is important 

to note that Montana is better off than most other states, both 

economically (our economy is still among the leading states) and 

financially (Montana is one of only four states that are maintaining a 

projected budget surplus). 

It is equally important to note that mining continues to contribute 

to the economic strength of the state, as it has over its history. At a 

time when so much of the economic strength of America seems to 

have been built on a “puffed-up” financial sector model, the people of 

Montana can take comfort in the fact that the strength of our economy 

is rooted in traditional basic sector activity, including mining. 

When Montana had one of the fastest growing economies in the 

nation during the past three years and when our unemployment rate 

Serving the 

Mining Industry for 

over 50 Years in the 

USA & Canada. 

Graymont Western US, Inc. 

4 1/2 Miles West of Townsend 

P.O. Box 550 

Townsend, MT 59644 

Phone: (406) 266-5221 

Fax: (406) 266-3079 

www.graymont.com 


set new record lows from 2005-2007 (3.6 percent in 2005; 3.2 percent 

in 2006; and 3.1 percent in 2007), that economic strength was partially 

rooted in the mining industry. 

As we developed a record number of jobs (over 460,000 total jobs, 

including 59,000 new jobs from January 2005 to October 2008) and the 

quality of our jobs was on the rise, mining contributed to that growth. 

The fact is, mining provides high paying jobs for Montanan families 

and communities, and those mining jobs continue to be among the 

best in the state. 

Montana’s growth was a result of strength in the resource, commodity 

and energy sectors. In addition, we were aided by strength in 

the technology and knowledge sectors – even tourism has shown 

strength. Add to that the “secret weapon” of Montana’s economy: our 

state is the best place to live, raise a family and run a business. 

Part of what Montana has done right is to develop quality jobs at

quality companies where workers and management can enjoy a quality 

of life that is second-to-none. This required a “mind-change” from 

the old traditions, but Montana mining companies have risen to the 

quality challenge. 

While Montana’s hard-rock mining industry is still setting records in 

terms of volume and income, it still faces challenges. Our largest mine, 

the Stillwater Mine, has found it necessary to reduce operations and is 

seeking new ownership. A combination of factors has led to reductions 

for what will, over the long haul, be the closure of Montana Tunnels. 

Still, in western Montana’s Lincoln and Sanders counties, Revett 

Minerals continues forward in its permitting of the Rock Creek Mine, 

which is proposed to extend under the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness 

with an entry from the west, as does the Montanore Mine, with an 

entry from the east. The Golden Dream Mine in the Elkhorns near 

Helena has been approved and is poised to open. The Drumlummon 

Mine near Marysville (part of the old Tommy Cruse mining efforts) is 

now moving forward with advanced-stage exploration, and has 

received key approval from the Department of Environmental Quality 

to dewater the old mine workings. It is fantastic that investment and 

exploration are taking place in Montana after many years of absence. 

Following a period of record mineral prices, driven by national and 

international demand, prices slipped, causing some concern. But 

many of the minerals are back at, or near record, highs, and profit 

sharing checks at Montana Resources are substantial to say the least. 

The future of mining looks good, and we must be dedicated to keeping 

it that way. 

88,234 

Montana Exports of Minerals and Ores to World 

153,389 

220,020 

2006 2007 2008 

I have been committed to seeing that our mining heritage is not just 

about the past or even the present, but that it is also part of our future 

as well. As long as mining is done right – in a manner that does not 

destroy our high quality of life – Montanans will support mining. 

As a state government we have improved our permitting activities, 

not by lowering standards, but rather by being efficient and timesensitive. 

Both my Office of Economic Development and the 

Department of Environmental Quality are supporting mining in a 

way that can make all Montanans proud – resulting in growth and 

quality jobs that are compatible with our quality of life. That is what 

Montanans want and that is what we can deliver by working together 

– a strong economic future where mining remains at the center of 

our economic strength. � 

Holland & Hart has provided comprehensive representation for the mining industry for 60 years. 

■ Acquisition, disposition and financing of mineral projects worldwide 

■ Financial and regulatory due diligence 

■ Development of mining infrastructure 

■ State and federal legislation for mining 

■ Mineral patenting and permits 

■ Title opinions, quiet title actions and title curative work 

■ Access, surface/mineral owner and royalty dispute resolution 

■ Environmental, public lands and NEPA issues 

Thousands of $ 

Larry W. Petersen 

lpetersen@hollandhart.com 

Donald W. Quander 

dquander@hollandhart.com 

Charles Hingle 

chingle@hollandhart.com 

250,000 

200,000 

150,000 

100,000 

Montana Mining Association www.montanamining.org 41 

50,000 

401 North 31st Street, Suite 1500, Billings, MT 59101 

(406) 252-2166 

www.hollandhart.com 

0

Safe work doesn’t 

come naturally 

Barrick’s ‘Courageous Leadership’ program 

instills a culture of safety awareness 

As MSHA statistics clearly show, safety in the mine workplace does 

not come naturally. It takes a lot of hard work. Employees are 

accustomed to completing the task at hand as quickly and efficiently 

as possible. Unfortunately, in the past this process may not have 

involved a lot of thought about what can go wrong and how to reduce 

Contract employee Jed Munday installs cameras at the open pit lookout 

using a fall restraint. 

the likelihood of an unwanted event. At Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine, 

we are working hard to change our culture so that consideration for 

safe work is the rule rather than the exception. 

In order to have a safe mine, it is necessary to have a comprehensive 

safety program that includes everything from operating controls 

to emergency-preparedness. However, we believe the key to a culture 

of safety is a program that focuses on behavior, leadership, and risk 

assessment. Barrick’s ‘Courageous Leadership’ program provides just 

this focus. We also believe that a safety culture isn’t something we can 

turn on at work and off at home – it has to be a value that is with us 

24-hours per day, seven days per week. When safety is a value for 

every employee, we will be able to achieve our vision of “Every person 

going home safe and healthy every day.” 


Comprehensive Safety Program 

To help safety become an uppermost value for all of our employees, 

we make every effort to keep it at the forefront of their minds at 

all times. We take every opportunity to talk about safe work; all staff 

attend weekly safety meetings, and each of our staff meetings begin 

with a safety share. There are many different aspects of a safe work 

place; consequently, the Barrick program has nine core elements, 

including: 

Leadership and personal commitment. 

Training and competence. 

Risk management. 

Operational controls and procedures. 

Health and wellness. 

Contractor controls. 

Incident investigation. 

Emergency preparedness. 

Performance measurement and assessment. 

Mobile maintenance general supervisor John Perigo is shown here with one of 

the trucks that he modified to improve safe access, by replacing the ladder with 

stairs and adding a wrap-around deck with handrail by the driver side access. 

John has been recognized as a Barrick Safety Champion for these efforts.

Although all of these elements are important to achieve a safe work 

environment, the proactive elements of leadership and risk assessment 

are pivotal in changing behaviors and creating the culture of 

safety required for an accident-free work site. 

Courageous Leadership 

Supervisors at Golden Sunlight are very aware that “everything they 

say” and “everything they do” impacts the behaviors of their employees 

at the mine site. Allowing even the smallest safety hazard or 

infraction to subsist sends the message that safety is not always first. 

However, we are not asking our supervisors to be the “safety police”; 

rather, we want them to actively support their respective crew’s safe 

work behaviors. This is accomplished by supervisors and employees 

participating in team-level risk assessments; by supervisors coaching 

their employees to help identify and address hazards; and by ensuring 

employees have the tools, time and training to complete all of their 

work safely. We ask all supervisors to seek opportunities for stamping 

out unsafe work practices by regularly discussing with employees how 

each job can best be accomplished safely. 

Our Courageous Leadership training courses were originally intended 

for supervisors only. But as mine management facilitated the training 

of supervisors, they soon began to realize that safety leadership 

had to be the responsibility of all employees if Golden Sunlight was 

going to achieve an accident-free workplace culture. Accordingly, we 

have provided the Courageous Leadership training to all employees 

and contractors every year. The mine has benefited from this two-way 

dialogue resulting from employees holding supervisors accountable 

and visa versa. 

Risk Assessment 

The minute we get out of bed in the morning, we begin to accept a 

level of risk in our lives because everything that we do has some inherent 

level of risk. We make it through the day by taking the necessary 

steps to reduce the likelihood of something dangerous happening to 

us. This informal risk reduction can be as simple as putting on a seat 

belt, throwing salt on the walkway, or buying a fire extinguisher. At 

Golden Sunlight, we have formalized the risk assessment effort to 

ensure that hazards don’t slip through the cracks at the beginning of 

the job, which might later result in injuries occuring to our employees 

during the completion of the work. We ask our employees to briefly 

stop at the beginning of every job in order to complete a Field Level 

Risk Assessment, asking the following questions: 

Field Level Risk Assessment: 

1. What am I doing? 

2. What could go wrong? 

3. How could it affect me, or others? 

4. How likely is it to happen? 

5. What can I do about it? 

Resume 

Work 

“WORKING “ 

TOGETHER WITH OUR LOCAL 

�� 

�� 

Control 

Risks 

Identify 

Hazards 

Assess 

Risks 


Environmental technician Rick Henderson (left) has been acknowledged as a Barrick Safety Champion for his use 

of hazard identification training in his safety meetings; tailings maintenance general supervisor Chris Nelson 

(right) says he “likes the team-level risk assessments his crew uses because it gives them a chance to step back and 

analyze the task at hand, thereby enabling them to accomplish the task in a safe and prudent manner”. 


Work can only proceed if these 

questions can be answered satisfactorily. 

While answering the questions 

doesn’t take long, the answers often 

result in some extra preparation time 

to ensure the job can be done safely 

and efficiently. But being prepared 

and understanding the risks always 

results in a better “job done”. 

While the Field Level Risk Assess - 

ment is the work horse at the mine, 

we have various levels of risk assessment, 

as described below, to address 

different types of situations such as: 

Team-Level Risk Assessment: Im - 

por tant for tasks that involve interaction 

between two or more people, 

particularly non-routine tasks for 

which there are no written standard 

operating procedures. 

Formal Risk Assessment: A proactive 

process to eliminate risks prior to 

the start of work, during the planning 

phase of the job, it typically involves 

three or more people planning every 

Moore Oil, Inc. 

Wholesale Distributing 

Moore Transportation, Inc. 

Bulk Fuel Transport 

Bary Moore 

P.O. Box 1057 

Thompson Falls, MT 59873 

(406) 827-4314 

FAX: (406) 827-4791 

Northwest Pipe Fittings, Inc. 

WHOLESALE ONLY 

33 SO. 8th ST. WEST P.O. BOX 1258 

BILLINGS, MONTANA 59103 

E. A. BUD REICHENBACH 

Office Phone: (406) 252-0142 

Home Phone: (406) 656-0265 

Cell Phone: (406) 698-3144 

Wats: (800) 937-4737 Fax: (406) 248-8072 

ereichenbach@northwestpipe.com 

•PLUMBING HEATING WATERWORKS INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES WATERWELL

step of a job and analyzing the risk associated with each step, reducing 

risk as necessary. This level of risk assessment is useful for managing 

significant operational changes or high potential jobs. 

High-Level Risk Assessment: Used to determine major 

safety, environmental, production, economic, or legal risks at a 

mine site. 

Safety 24-hours per day, 7-days per week 

An upside benefit of our safety improvement effort at the mine is 

the carryover to our employees’ homes and families. As we develop 

a safety value at work, we also begin to change our behaviors at home. 

This may include driving slower and more cautiously, wearing safety 

glasses in the garage, putting on bicycle helmets, etc. When safety is 

an inherent value, it isn’t something that can be left at work. This is a 

very important carryover, because our employees are injured more at 

home than they are at work. Mobile equipment is a significant area of 

risk at work and at home. Our “Drive First” training modules aim to 

improve driving habits both at work and at home. 

After seeing the mine’s improved safety performance, Tim 

O’Donnell, a Golden Sunlight employee, requested that the mine try 

to find a way to share its success with the local community of 

Whitehall. The community had suffered an inordinate number of 

tragedies during the previous year. Based on the request, Golden 

Sunlight has hosted an annual safety fair in Whitehall for three years 

with the help of various emergency services, medical services, the 

Golden Sunlight mill 

operator Tim O’Donnell has 

been recognized as a Barrick 

Safety Champion for 

starting the Whitehall 

Community Safety Fair. 

agricultural industry and recreational groups. The goal of the fair is to 

increase risk awareness as well as to provide some simple tools and 

basic knowledge to help the community better identify hazards and 

reduce their risks during the harvest and recreational seasons. 

Conclusion 

Barrick Golden Sunlight has had to work very hard to begin to create 

the culture required for an accident-free work site. Although we 

have made a lot of progress and have had some years with no losttime 

injuries, we still have much improvement to achieve in order to 

be at the level we would like to be in all nine safety elements. 

However, we believe that with our continued focus on safety improvement, 

particularly with our Courageous Leaders and their use of risk 

assessment, we can create an incident-free workplace where every 

employee can go home safe and healthy each and every day. � 


2008 REVIEW 

Montana mining 

and exploration 

2008 was a year of extremes. It started with high commodity 

prices, high operating costs, limited supplies and personnel, yet 

endless opportunities. Venture capital was seemingly unlimited. 

By the end of the second quarter, the money supply began to 

retract. Commodity prices remained strong but the costs of petroleum-derived 

products escalated in response to record oil prices. Diesel 

costs of over $4.00/gallon and costs of over $90,000/tire on large 

trucks depressed the profit margins of many operations. 

In the autumn, oil prices began to decline and commodity 

prices collapsed. The belt-tightening began; small companies disappeared 

while larger companies trimmed staff and budgets to make 

ends meet. 

Following a court-derived decision that the Mine Safety and Health 


Administration was at fault in the Crandall Canyon coal disaster, the 

agency’s new interpretation of its own regulations has established 

standards which the mining industry has interpreted to be beyond 

practical limits. Negotiations of citations and fines have been greatly 

reduced. Enforcement has been described as inappropriately overzealous 

by some operators. Although the large companies appear to be 

coping with change, small-scale operations are facing closure due to 

lack of sufficient capital and staff to meet the new agency demands. 

OPERATIONS 

Northwest Region 

In the northwest corner of Montana near Troy, Genesis’ Troy mine 

(Revett Silver, Cu, Ag) achieved stability with 12 months of no lost-time

accidents and a steady workforce. Production achieved 4,000 tons-per 

day, and reserves are at six years and growing. When copper prices 

declined from +$4.00/lb to $1.50/lb, the company reduced wages by 

10 percent and salaries by 20 percent, while hoping costs of fuel and 

steel would come into line, as they have. 

Near Noxon, RC Resources’ Rock Creek mine (Revett Silver, Cu, Ag) 

made significant progress with construction of adit support facilities 

near the proposed upper portal. However, the Record of Decision and 

biologic opinion have been appealed by the environmental groups 

and are back in court. The operation is also waiting on a Montana 

Pollution Discharge Elimination System (MPDES) permit. The company 

has acquired mitigation lands in the West Fisher and Bull Lake areas 

for grizzly bear impact mitigation. They have completed the watertreatment 

plant design and are waiting for legal decisions. 

Near the Rock Creek mine on the Libby side, Mines Management 

has continued to work on reopening the Montanore mine (Cu, Ag) and 

acquiring an operating permit. The decline has been pumped and 

rehabilitated to 5,000 ft by Small Mines Development (SMD). The draft 

environmental impact statement is out, and comments are being 

gathered. The company is attempting to match permitting with rehabilitation 

so that the mine will be ready to continue development 

when the permit is acquired. 

Near Superior, Hageman Construction completed mining for placer 

gold on the Calumet claim in Quartz creek, and has now moved to 

lower Quartz creek. They are finding good values in gravels adjacent 

to previously mined ground. 

North of Avon, Darden Engineering mined Clark Smith’s gold placer 

in Ophir creek. The skarn-hosted deposit yielded “granola-type” 

coarse gold, including a few thumb-sized nuggets. The deposit has 

lessened in grade with a change of bedrock type but plans are in place 

to continue mining during the coming season. 

Southwest Region 

In Montana City, Ashgrove Cement maintained production through 

the year. The market softened as with most operations, but not as 

severely as in the Midwest. 

Near Boulder, Apollo Gold’s Montana Tunnels mine (Pb, Zn, Au, Ag) 

operated steadily while waiting for a permit to expand to the “M” pit. 


Though the permit was expected in 23 months, the final was produced 

in more than 50 months. In that period of time commodity prices collapsed 

and venture capital disappeared. It will be difficult for Apollo 

to develop the “M” pit under current financial conditions. The property 

will go under “care and maintenance” when the last of the ore is 

processed in the spring of 2009. 

In Elkhorn, the Golden Dream mine (Elkhorn Goldfields, Cu, Au) was 

fully permitted in less than two years but failed to secure enough 

money to begin development. Operations have been suspended. 

In Butte, Montana Resources, LLP (Cu, Mo, Ag) maintained steady 

production of copper and molybdenum through the year. The company 

purchased six used 793 Cat haul trucks (240-ton) and a 495 HD- 

Bucyres shovel (40 yd3 rock bucket) to augment production. Tire availability 

has increased while cost has significantly decreased. Company 

profits were reduced under the high cost of oil through the first three 

quarters of the year. The operation has enjoyed a stable workforce 

since 2003 and is still profitable at current reduced commodity prices. 

Near Whitehall, the Golden Sunlight mine (Barrick Gold) 

completed the stage “5B” pit while producing out of its underground 

mine. Production was normal at 119,500 oz of gold. The underground 

operations will cease in early 2009 as will the mill until 2012. The next 

three years will be spent stripping 70 million tons of waste to prepare 

the stage “5C” pit for production. Company geo logists believe this last 

push-back will remove all of the remaining gold resources from the 

deposit. The operation processed dumps from inactive mines in the 

area as well as old dumps adjacent to the mine. Gold prices have risen 

by a third from $650 per ounce to $950 per ounce as most other commodities 

and the general economy have declined. 

At Silverstar, Coronado Resources shipped direct ship copper ore to 

the smelter through the first half of the year from their Madison Gold 

project. The smelter placed a limit of 20 percent copper on the company, 

so 12 percent native copper ore was blended with 55 percent 

copper ore (chalcocite) to create a suitable smelter feed. When copper 

prices fell, the company closed for a while and then started shipping 

gold ore to the Golden Sunlight mill. 

In Virginia City, Moen Builders tested ore in their mill for a New 

Mexico company. They have been busy all year building and assembling 

equipment for international mining companies. 


North of Townsend, Graymont Western, USA maintained production 

of burnt lime from the Mission Canyon formation. The market has 

softened somewhat, resulting in lower production. Labor has been 

steady and the company has made no changes in any equipment. 

Coal and diesel costs were high during the peak months as were trucking 

expenses. 

Northeast of Three Forks, Holcim continued production of Portland 

cement at its Trident plant. The company has reported some softening 

in the market as two plants were closed and two mothballed. The 

Trident plant was fortunate to remain in operation. 

South of Melrose, Apex Abrasives worked steadily in the construction 

of its new process facility at the old General Electric tungsten 

mill site. The company experienced difficulty in hiring and retaining 

skilled construction labor. By the end of the year, they had assembled 

the equipment and erected a building around it. They expect to produce 

tungsten concentrates and garnet water-jet cutting media by 

spring 2009. 

Near Alder, Ruby Valley Garnet, LLC (RVG) embarked upon an extensive 

redesign of its processing facility. Their goal is to increase production 

levels to 40,000 tons of processed garnet per year within their 

existing footprint. The garnets are used for filter, blast, 

and water-jet cutting media. The garnet market remains strong and 

RVG has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with 

GMA Garnet of Australia, the largest producer and supplier of garnet 

in the world. In addition to increasing its processing capability at the 

Alder plant in 2009, RVG is joint-venturing with Oro Management, LLC 

to recover garnet from the gold dredge tailings in Alder Gulch, and 

hopes to see additional garnet production by mid-summer of 2009. 

South and east of Dillon, Barretts Minerals Inc. (Specialty Minerals 

Inc.) continued to produce talc from its Regal and Treasure mines. The 

company is working on a new shop and communication facility at the 

Regal mine. They are currently shopping for a new excavator (250-350 

horsepower) and an undercarriage replacement for their Hitachi- 

1800.They have experienced minor layoffs (~10 percent) and have not 

replaced some personnel who retired. Their markets have softened 

somewhat with the auto industry in decline. 

South of Ennis, Rio Tinto Minerals maintained talc production at its 

Yellowstone mine. They replaced some maintenance equipment and 

Brenntag Pacific, Inc. 

7535 Mossmain Lane, Billings, MT 59106 

J. Mark Redfern 

Telephone: (406)628-3640 | Fax: (406) 628-2072 

Cell Phone: (406) 671-4105 | Email: mredfern@brenntag.com

purchased a snowplow. They are currently backfilling the old North 

Main pit and have maintained a near zero-change footprint. The company 

has constructed a new water-filling station so that pit runoff 

water can be better utilized for dust control. Their market has softened 

like other industrial mineral mines, and although they did not have 

any layoffs, they did offer employees an incentive program for 

early retirement and severance which many accepted. They have 

added a fine-grind mill in the Three Forks plan but remain very stable 

on all fronts. 

Yellowstone Region 

Stillwater Mining Company (Pd, Pt, Rh, Cu, Ni, Co, Au) remains the 

largest metal mining operation in Montana but posted a loss of $112.7 

million for 2008. Commodity prices declined in mid-summer and 

demand fell by 60 percent. With the decline of commodity prices, 

there has also been a decrease in the availability of used automobile 

catalytic converters for the company to reprocess in their smelter. In 

Columbus, the company will complete the second furnace, thus 

expanding process capacity at the smelter. Overall staff reduction of 

the corporation is currently at 21 percent. Most of the reduction 

occurred at the East Boulder mine. 

At Nye, the Stillwater mine continues to develop the lower key 

haulage infrastructure of the off-shaft area of the mine. The company 

has refocused operations to ore grade and production costs from tonnage 

throughput. The result has been to reduce dilution until mine 

grade is nearly back to original values. Although changes at the Nye 

site have not been as radical as at the East Boulder mine, the company 

has incorporated many of the successful cost-cutting measures and 

will continue to do so. 

South of Big Timber, the company suspended operations in the 

fourth quarter at the East Boulder mine. After laying off all 526 

employees, they brought about one-third of the staff back. Although 


development was reduced from four crews to one in the short term, 

the major reductions were in support personnel and mid-level management. 

Production expectations have been reduced by tons and 

increased by ounces. Consequently, the first month after the change 

resulted in a larger production of metal. They have mothballed 180 

pieces of diesel equipment, some of which is scheduled for rehabilitation 

and others for liquidation. On the surface it appears that the 

company has chosen a new direction for the better. 

EXPLORATION 

Exploration started the year off with good funding, anticipation of 

new discoveries, and a very bright future. By spring, many of the companies 

were out of funding and completely dead by the fourth quarter. 

Companies operating on banked money survived while those 

operating on stock died. 

Even with all the financial gloom and doom, 2008 has been the 

most active mineral exploration year in Montana for a decade. 

Western Region 

Near Libby, Great Northern Mining sampled gold placers along the 

west side of Libby creek. 

East of Missoula, Kennecott Utah Copper drilled two deep diamonddrill 

holes into a copper–porphyry deposit at Copper Cliff. At Garnet, 

Grant-Hartford Corporation drilled a number of holes in the vein system 

that fed the mines at Garnet. They also hoped to find a parallel 

vein in the same area. The company reported having success in the 

2008 drilling program and plans a continuing drill program in 2009. 

Southwest of Philipsburg, High Desert Gold Corporation drilled six 

diamond-drill holes for silver. 

Near Maxville, Juno Minerals completed an aerial magnetometer 

survey in the Finnley Basin area. A drilling program for tungsten and 

copper is planned for 2009. There are tentative plans to support it with 

mule transport. 

Southwestern Region 

At Marysville, Rx Exploration drilled the Drumlummon mine, which 

has produced nearly a million ounces of gold. The program has iden- 

Vegetation Ve egetation 

Surveys, Surveyys, 

T&E Surveys, Surveeyys, 

NEPA NEPAA 

406-388-9378 veg1@countgrass.com 

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tified remaining reserves in the old workings plus undiscovered veins 

in the hanging wall. So far, the drill program off of the 400-ft haulage 

level has identified 155,518 tons containing 70,703 oz of gold and 

1,915,560 oz of silver. A recently acquired MPDES permit will allow the 

company to dewater the 1,600 ft of dip-length workings so that the 

diamond drilling program can continue in the coming year. The company 

plans to drive a decline to access the recently discovered vein systems 

on the 800-ft level and possibly obtain a bulk sample for metallurgical 

testing. 

South of Butte, Timberline Resources Corporation continued 

drilling its Butte Highlands project. Reserves of 583,253 tons grading 

0.335 oz/ton (measured and indicated) and 1,259,263 tons grading 

0.268 oz/ton (inferred) have been identified. Further drilling continues 

to expand the potential of the property. In the coming year, SMD and 

Timberline Resources, under a joint venture, will drive a decline to 

prepare for 1,000 ton-per-day production. 

In the Twin Bridges area, John Sutton hauled mill tailings from the 

Rochester area to the Golden Sunlight mill. Similarly, Joe Bardswich 

and Hart Baitis hauled mine dumps to the Golden Sunlight mill from 

the Dry Georgia Gulch area. 

Near Sheridan, Millstream Mines continued exploration and development 

of the Tamarack (Au) mine. Bulk samples were processed in 

their mill with success. Operations have been suspended until contracts 

for backup rescue have been secured for the underground. The 

company has temporarily refocused their efforts on mill expansion of 

throughput and recovery. 

West of Melrose, Bolero Resources drilled two diamond-drill holes 

on the Cannivan Gulch molybdenum deposit. 

East of Dillon, Barretts Minerals drilled six holes on the eastern 

extension of the Regal mine talc deposit. They also drilled four or five 

holes on the MP claims. 

West of Dillon near the old ghost town of Coolidge, Silica Resources 

drilled two holes at the Elkhorn porphyry deposit. 

At Virginia City, the Grant mine and mill were re-permitted. The 

underground was rehabilitated and some mineralized zones were 

rumored to have been found. Work was suspended in early 2009. 

Northwest of Norris, the St. Lawrence Company drilled more than 

Pennaluna & Company 

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20 shallow (

Barretts Minerals Inc. 

uses an ancient resource 

for modern applications 

Early Native Americans discovered talc, commonly called soapstone, 

in the Ruby Mountains of what is now southwest 

Montana. Local tribes mined it for their own use, including trading 

with other tribes; and, the Lewis and Clark journals even mention 

smoking a peace pipe made from this easily carved rock when they 

navigated the waters of the Beaverhead River in 1805 and camped by 

Rattlesnake Cliffs. 

The talc mining tradition in the Ruby Mountains started by the early 

Native Americans is still carried on today, at Barretts Minerals Inc. 

(BMI), which extracts the talc from two mines in the Ruby Mountain 

Range and processes it along the banks of the Beaverhead River south 

of Dillon, Montana. Although artists still produce carvings from this 

talc, it is now also used in many industrial and consumer applications 

such as paints, plastics, ceramics and health-care products. Though 

talc (Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide) is the world’s softest mineral, it 

has very little chemical reactivity – it is practically insoluble in water, 

weak acids or alkalis, and has a melting point of 1,500o C. These char- 


acteristics make the mineral ideal for ceramic applications, such as the 

substrate used to encase precious metals like the platinum in catalytic 

converters, which reduce automobile pollution; indeed, a good portion 

of the talc mined at Barretts Minerals is sold for this purpose. 

“The catalytic converters of the majority of automobiles manufactured 

in North America – and a great deal of those worldwide – contain 

talc from the Treasure and Regal Mines. So most of the people in 

this country are driving around with talc from our mines,” says Jim 

Daley, plant manager at Barretts. 

The mineral is also an excellent filler and extender; used in paints 

to improve coverage, in plastics for reinforcement, and for use in what 

is known as an “antiblock” to reduce static cling in plastics wraps and 

bags, it is also utilized in various products such as body powder, and 

as a coating on tablets and chewing gum. Since the Montana talc has 

a platy structure it does not have the health risks associated with other 

minerals that could be used for these applications. 

Electron Micrograph scan showing the platy structure of BMI talc.

History 

In 1954, Tri-State Minerals opened a talc plant eight miles south 

of Dillon near Rattlesnake Cliffs. The plant processed ore from small 

mines nearby. In 1960, the Treasure Mine began delivering ore to the 

Barretts plant. In 1966, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. purchased 

the operation and in 1992, Pfizer spun off its minerals business 

into Minerals Technologies Inc., BMI’s parent company. In the 

early 1950s, the underground mining was abandoned at the 

Keystone Mine and changed to a surface mining operation called the 

Regal Mine, also delivering talc to the processing facility. Production 

was sporadic at the Regal Mine until the mid-1990s. Both are open 

pit mines that require removing large amounts of overburden covering 

the talc; once the talc is mined it is sorted by color and chemical 

properties. At the plant, the talc is either ground to customer 

specifications or beneficiated before grinding to improve chemical 

purity, and then packaged for delivery to customers around the 

world. 

“We are very proud of our service to customers, which is a primary 

focus for Barretts Minerals,” says Kevin Porterfield, BMI’s general 

manager. “We are also very proud of our record of community service 

and environmental stewardship. The company is a major contributor 

to the local United Way and the annual Dillon Elementary 

Birch Creek educational experience, as well as many other commu- 

Ingenuity 

Our electric mining shovels have the most 

advanced technology available today. Through 

an ingenious combination of superior digging 

force and rapid cycle times, it offers the extreme 

levels of productivity and cost-effectiveness 

that our global customers demand. 

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Mining Technology 

Electric Mining Shovels 

Reliability at work 

View of Rattlesnake Cliffs from BMI. 

nity activities.” The company has also received recognition for its 

reclamation of mine lands and for restoration of the Stone Creek 

fishery containing native West Slope Cutthroat Trout. Barretts 

Minerals’ employees take the company goal to “increase shareholder 

value while being a responsible, ethical member of the communities 

in which we operate” very seriously. � 

Glacier HR Services, Inc. 

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President, Bob Marsenich, has been a management consultant for over 25 years and 

has worked with all levels of employees in a variety of settings. We use a uniquely 

designed individual coaching and process improvement program to increase 

results. Our manufacturing clients typically see significant increases in production 

in a short period of time. This coaching program includes one on one, on-site and 

telephone coaching sessions, interviews and other 360 degree feedback processes. 

The coaching happens in the real environment with real situations and action plans 

are developed that measure results. Contact us today to see how we can design a 

program specific to your mining needs! 

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P.O. Box 912 | Polson, Montana 59860 | P. 406.887.9947 | E. bob@glacierhr.com 

www.GlacierHR.com 


MMA unveils new website 

In mid-April, the Montana Mining Association launched a 

redesigned website to better serve the association’s members and 

other visitors. 

The completely revamped site has been improved both aesthetically 

and practically, in order to simplify navigation. New features 

include both Industry and Legislative News boxes on the homepage 

for instant updates, and an enhanced Membership Directory with better 

search functions. 

“A website is never done, it just keeps evolving,” says Debra Pitassy, 

DII 

Dick Irvin, Inc. 

Transportation 


U.S./Can. 800-332-5131 

INTERNATIONAL 

MOTOR CARRIER 

P.O. Box 950 Phone: (406) 434-5583 

575 Wilson Avenue Fax: (406) 434-5505 

Shelby, MT 59474 Cell: (406) 450-1127 

the association’s director of member services. Acting as both the new 

website’s designer and content manager, Pitassy encourages members 

and the interested public to visit the website often. “Feedback can 

only help us to improve and let us know what content is important to 

you,” she says. 

For advertising opportunities, or anyone interested in submitting 

articles and news stories, please contact Debra Pitassy at 

dpitassy@montanamining.org. � 

Ezzie’s Wholesale, Inc. 

Lawrence R. “Lary” Poulton 

Bus. Ph. (406) 654-2331 

Res. Ph. (406) 654-1525 

• Diesel Fuels Propane 

Motor Oils Gasoline 

Bulk Oil 

WATS 800-892-6874, FAX 406-654-2887 

Box 1770, Malta, MT 59538

Montana Tunnels’ mine 

wetlands mitigation project 

The Montana Tunnels mine is located 

in north Jefferson County, Montana, 

approximately 25 miles south of Helena 

and ten miles north of Boulder, the county 

seat. The mine began operations in 

February, 1986 under a permit authorization 

from the Montana Department of 

State Lands and the Bureau of Land 

Management. Montana Tunnels operations 

include mining of a polymetallic ore 

from a single open pit and a mill processing 

facility that produces gold, silver, lead 

and zinc concentrates for sale into commerce. 

To date, Montana Tunnels has 

processed 100 million tons of ore producing 

1.5 million ounces of gold, 28 million 

ounces of silver, 390 million pounds of 

lead and more than one billion pounds of 

zinc. The current operating plan will provide 

sufficient ore to supply milling operations 

into the second quarter of 2009. 

In 2004, Montana Tunnels submitted 

a major amendment application to the 

Department of Environmental Quality 

and the Bureau of Land Management that 

proposed to mine 30 million tons of additional 

ore reserves located deeper within 

the existing open pit. Sizeable modifications 

are required to carry out the extended 

plan of operations; these include 

increasing the area and depth of the open 

pit mine, extending the waste rock storage 

areas and raising the elevation of the tailings 

embankment. Alterations to the current 

mine plan would also require the 

realignment of two stream channels and 

the replacement of their impacted wetland 

areas. An Environmental Impact 

Statement was prepared to analyze the 

proposed plan, and the amendment was 

approved by the agencies in 2008 with 

some modifications. 

As a cooperating agency in the mine 

expansion permitting process, the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was 

involved in the assessment of wetlands 

delineation and mitigation for the amendment. 

Wetland inventories were compiled 

in the proposed areas of disturbance by 

For more information, please contact: 

Ed Handl, Division Manager 

or Dave Lambrecht, Project Manager 

Atlatl - A Division of JBR 

121002 Browns Gulch Road 


Tel: 406.723.7980 

consultants contracted by Montana 

Tunnels. The inventory was reviewed with 

the USACE to determine the jurisdictional 

qualification of the delineated areas and 

to finalize the types of wetlands that 

would be affected. The final inventory 

Butte-based Atlatl recently merged with Utah-based 

JBR Environmental Consultants, Inc. JBR grew up with the 

mining industry, having worked on over 100 mine sites throughout 

the West. We at Atlatl and JBR are excited to offer our combined 

experience to the mining industry throughout Montana. 

Atlatl 

ENVIRONMENTAL 

SCIENTISTS 

& ENGINEERS 

www.atlatlinc.com 

What Can the Atlatl & JBR Team 

Do for You Today? 

Mine Closure & Reclamation Planning 

Soils & Groundwater 

Investigation and Remediation 

Surface Water & Groundwater 

Management 

Geoprobe & Mobile Lab Services 

SPCC Plans and UST /AST Compliance 

Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans 

Phase I & II ESAs 

Air Quality Permitting 

NEPA Compliance 

A Division of 

www.jbrenv.com 


identified direct impact to 2.11 acres of 

wetlands from the open pit mine expansion 

disturbance, and 0.53 acres of indirect 

impact to downstream wetlands that 


would result from rerouting 1,800 feet of 

the Clancy Creek stream channel around 

the open pit perimeter. More than twothirds 

of the 2.63 acres of impacted wet- 

View of Clancy Creek stream split between existing open meadow channel and reactivated 

Aspen Forest channel. 

Overview of Montana Tunnels mine and wetland mitigation sites. 

land area was classified as scrub-shrub 

and emergent wetlands, with the remaining 

0.72 acres inventoried as forest wetland. 

Wetland mitigation ratios were proposed 

to the USACE based on construction 

of replacement wetland that would be 

functionally developed prior to disturbance 

of existing wetlands. Scrub-shrub 

and emergent wetlands were proposed at 

a 1:1 replacement ratio and forest wetlands 

at a 1.5:1 replacement ratio. 

Montana Tunnels identified several wetland 

mitigation sites for USACE and other 

agencies to evaluate. One of Montana 

Tunnels’ preferred locations for all wetland 

replacement was an eight acre site in 

the Clancy Creek valley, directly downstream 

of the open pit mine expansion. 

This location would also disturb two acres 

of wetlands that would require additional 

wetland mitigation within that footprint. 

A second preferred location was on the

Transplanting conifers on reactivated 

Clancy Creek channel. 

Corbin Flats Tailings remediation site; an 

80-acre historic mine tailings site on 

which Montana Tunnels completed a 

cleanup action in 1998. A mile of reconstructed 

Spring Creek stream channel that 

flows through the Corbin Flats 

Remediation site would supply water to 

the wetland area. 

After considering a number of wetland 

development criteria and impacts to fish 

in Clancy Creek, a consensus was reached 

with the agencies to use both of the proposed 

mitigation sites for the required 

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wetland replacements. The Clancy Creek 

site contained an aspen forested section 

with a natural channel area that had been 

inactive for more than 30 years, due to 

upstream beaver dams which forced the 

stream to flow through an open meadow 

area. It was agreed that relocation of the 

stream into the historic treed channel 

would provide replacement for forest wetlands 

and at the same time enhance habitat 

for fish. The Corbin Flats reme diation 

33 S.Last Chance Gulch 

P.O. Box 1715 

Helena, Montana 59624-1715 

Tel. 406 442-8560 

Fax 406 442-8783 

email: gsjw@gsjw.com 

website: www.gsjw.com 

site was not suitable for forest wetland 

development but provided a good location 

for scrub-shrub and emergent wet - 

land development. The Corbin Flats remediation 

site received oversight from the 

Hazardous Waste Site Cleanup Bureau of 

the Montana Department of Environ - 

mental Quality, and the approval of that 

agency was obtained before proceeding 

with the project. 

In March of 2008, Montana Tunnels 

Gough, Shanahan, Johnson & Waterman, PLLP 

Serving Montana’s Natural Resource Industries 

Since 1879 


Reactivated Clancy Creek channel flow through aspens. 

View of constructed wetlands mitigation area on Corbin Flats. 


Installing geosynthetic clay liner under Corbin Flats wetland mitigation area. 

completed design plans for the wetland mitigation projects and submitted 

permit applications to the USAEC and all other agencies with 

stream protection oversight. All agency permit authorizations were 

received by the end of May, 2008 and materials for wetland construction 

were ordered. 

Construction at the Clancy Creek forested wetland restoration site 

began in June of 2008. The diversion of Clancy Creek into the inactive 

treed channel was easily accomplished using hand shovels to 

create a new channel through a short distance of terrain contours. 

The stream channel flow was initially split into the existing channel 

and the reactivated channel for two months to provide fish spawning 

habitat in the existing open meadow channel. In August, 2008, 

the entire flow at the stream diversion point was directed into the 

historic treed channel, and the valley area around the stream channel 

was fenced to prevent cattle from grazing. In the autumn of 

2008, fir and spruce trees were transplanted from areas of future 

mine disturbance to more closely mimic the forest wetland that will 

be disturbed during the mine expansion phase. 

Ronald W. Guill 

– UNDERGROUND – 

– MINING – CONTRACTORS – 

Phone��Fax 208-338-8881 

�� 

�� 

��

Corbin Flats wetland channel with water 

supply from Spring Creek. 

Construction of the Corbin Flats wetlands 

mitigation project began in mid- 

July 2008. Although less than two acres of 

wetland mitigation would be required 

under the proposed mitigation ratios, 

Montana Tunnels chose to construct four 

acres of wetland footprint to ensure success 

for the minimum amount of wetland 

replacement. Soil and subgrade materials 

were excavated to form the base of the 

wetland footprint. The subgrade material 

was very porous glacial outwash rock, and 

geosynthetic clay liner was selected to 

provide a low permeability barrier under 

the wetland. The excavated base materials 

were screened to produce a subgrade 

soil to place under and over the installed 

geosynthetic clay liner. Subgrade soil was 

graded and compacted over the excavated 

base to prevent liner damage. 

Geosynthetic clay liner was then positioned, 

and a 24-inch layer of subsoil was 

graded over the liner, except in the area of 

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the wetland channel which received 18 

inches of soil and a six inch layer of 

screened armor rock layer approximately 

10 feet wide. A six-inch layer of screened 

topsoil from the Montana Tunnels mine 

site was then hauled and spread over the 

subsoil materials, and the stream channel 

alignment and banks were formed using 

erosion mat. 

Water supply for the Corbin Flats wetland 

mitigation area is provided from a 

split of Spring Creek through a wetland 

entry channel. Water passing through the 

wetland area is returned to downstream 

Spring Creek through a wetland exit channel. 

The meandering wetland stream 

channel is 1,500 feet long at a one-half 

percent grade. There is one dike with a 

Design of wetland mitigation area on Corbin Flats remediation site. 

MDM 

SUPPLY 

A Montana Company 

Res: (406) 227-5674 

Cell: 1-439-0169 

dperson@mdmsupply.com 

stream drop structure, and a downstream 

berm in the wetland area to facilitate 

water saturation in the soils. 

The Corbin Flats wetland area was seeded 

with inventoried herbaceous species 

followed by hydromulching in the fall of 

2008. A cattle fence was installed around 

the site for security. At the beginning of 

the 2009 growing season, shrubs will be 

planted from containerized stock at the 

required densities. Montana Tunnels’ 

mining plan for the open pit expansion 

will allow the wetland mitigation areas 

the better part of two growing seasons to 

develop and demonstrate functional wetland 

characteristics before the existing 

wetlands in Clancy Creek are disturbed. � 

Dale Person 

Sales Representative 

MDM Supply Company 

2609 Bozeman Avenue 

Helena, MT 59601 

Phone: (406) 443-4012 

Fax: (406) 442-4536 

1-800-697-0005 

“Wholesale Distributors of Plumbing, Heating, Pipe, Valves and Fittings” 


Did you know that there are 9,000 pounds of copper, including 

632,000 feet of copper wire, in a 747-200 jet airplane? Or that 

a basic automobile contains about 50 pounds of copper? Copper 

plays an integral part in everyday life, yet many people don't appreciate 

it – unless you happen to be one of the 350 employees at 

Montana Resources in Butte, that is. 

Montana Resources operates an open pit copper and molybdenum 

mine. The operation comprises the Continental mine, crushers 

and a concentrator facility where thousands of tons of raw ore are 

processed into high-quality metal concentrates. The management of 

mining economies, adding control technology and production techniques, 

allows Montana Resources to competitively produce copper 

and molybdenum concentrates for a world market. Montana 

Resources is the lowest grade copper mine operating in the world 

today. Head grades of copper ore average ¼ of one percent. The path 

for metal concentrates from earth to railcar involves many separate 

processes, mechanical and chemical, overseen by trained personnel. 

The copper mined at Montana Resources heads to China and to 

smelters in the U.S. and Canada. The molybdenum is shipped to a 

roasting plant in Pennsylvania, where it’s ultimately used in making 

stainless steel and other steel alloys. 

Environmental Stewardship 

Montana Resources is part of a modern generation of mine operators 

that strives to innovate processes and use more efficient technologies 

that lessen the impact of mining on the environment. They 

recognize the need to monitor water and air quality. 

“We have in place a closed circuit water system wherein all water 

used in the mine and concentrator is recycled through the process, 

with zero discharge to the outside environment,” explains Tad Dale, 

P.E., vice president of human resources. 

Of course, mining raises dust, and every effort is made to minimize 

it. Water trucks constantly wet down haul roads in never-ending 

circuits. 


A view of the Montana Resources water treatment plant. Montana Resources has a 

closed-circuit water system in place wherein all water used in the mine and concentrator 

is recycled through the process, with zero discharge to the outside environment. 

History, mining and 

stewardship in Butte By Rebecca Colnar & Tad Dale 

As for reclamation, Montana Resources has just undergone a fiveyear 

bond review by the state of Montana. “The state of Montana is 

required by the Metal Mine Reclamation Act to review an operator’s 

bond every five years, which assures taxpayers that the amount of 

the bond to is sufficient to cover the cost of reclamation,” explains 

Dale. “We want to be good stewards of our resource.” 

Dale, a mining engineer, explains that an open pit mine is active 

for the entire life of the pit, and is only reclaimed when it becomes 

dormant. “Montana Resources practices concurrent reclamation, 

reclaiming as soon as possible while mining operations continue,” 

he says. 

A Montana Resources employee pouring molten zinc, which is used in the 

repair of the primary crusher.

A view of reclaimed land near the Continental 

mine in Butte, Montana. Montana Resources 

practices concurrent reclamation, reclaiming as 

soon as possible while mining operations continue. 

The result is grassy rolling hills inhabited by deer 

and other wildlife. 

A pulverized rock slurry emerging from the concentrator and thickener 

tanks is pumped to the Yankee Doodle Tailings Pond, where the flour-sized 

byproduct of the milling process settles out before the water is piped back 

to the mine operation. Not a drop of water leaves the site from this closed 

circuit. Copper is also extracted from water taken from the nearby 

Berkeley Pit in precipitation cells, taking advantage of that resource, and 

the water is afterward returned to the Pit. 

People and Safety 

Dale explains that the company prides itself on safety. “Safety is 

our top priority, not production. We feel that if you take care of safety 

first, high levels of production will follow.” 

Montana Resources owes its success to the people of Butte and 

the men and women who make up their workforce. Many represent 

generations of miners. “Our employees work in a wide spectrum of 

professions, trades and skills, each of them necessary for the efficient 

operation of a modern mine, and each a valuable asset to us. 

In turn, we are concerned that our workers perform their jobs as 

courageous leaders in safety and have respect for the environment 

we all work, live and play in,” notes Dale. 

Philanthropic Involvement 

Montana Resources feels strongly about contributing to the community, 

and is a proud member of the Washington Companies. The 

revenues generated, and employment opportunities created by 

Montana Resources, contribute significantly to the local and state 

economy through wages and taxes paid, purchases made locally 

($26 million in 2008) and philanthropic donations. The primary philanthropic 

arm of the Washington Companies is the Dennis & Phyllis 

Washington Foundation, and a portion of Montana Resources profits 

helps fund the foundation. Since its inception, Foundation giving 

and the Washington Family's personal contributions to charitable 

causes totals more than $60 million. 

Changing Industry 

Dale has seen several changes in the industry over the past 20 

years. One is that it’s much more difficult to bring an ore deposit into 

production. Another change is that mineral companies are wary of 

Montana’s political climate and wonder if their dollars could be better 

spent elsewhere. The question is, “if you can find it, can you permit 

it?” 

“Also, exploration is off-limits in many areas due to protected public 

land designation. If you can't explore, you can't develop your 

mineral resources,” he opines. In addition, he’s frustrated that 

although Montana is blessed with tremendous natural resources, the 

state “has done a poor job of managing its assets. Montana is in the 

top five states for minerals, yet the number of operating mines doesn't 

reflect that.” 

Dale says that over the past 20 years, the industry has evolved 

regarding its attitude on environmental issues. “We really can have it 

all today – a clean environment while mining our natural resources 

to provide products for our basic needs and higher standard of living,” 

he notes. “We are proud to continue Butte’s heritage as a mining 

city, and are committed to continuing that tradition well into the 

future. Our employees are the people who will make that possible.” 

For more information on Montana Resources, please visit 

www.montanaresources.com. � 

Approximately 350 men and women 

make up the Montana Resources 

work force. In 2008, Montana 

Resources’ employees were awarded 

the Harold McGrath Award from the 

Butte/Silverbow Chamber of 

Commerce for contributing 

significantly to the life 

of the community. 


Graymont Western’s 

Indian Creek Plant 

Graymont is a family-owned company whose management 

team and employees are dedicated to meeting or exceeding 

customer needs. The company focuses on the production of high calcium 

lime; dolomitic lime; value added lime-based products, such 

as specialty hydrates and precipitated calcium carbonates; and the 

aggregate and pulverized stone business. 

In North America, Graymont is the third largest producer of lime. 

In the United States, subsidiary companies operate in Montana, 

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Oregon, Utah and Nevada, while 

serving markets in a much wider geographic area. In Canada, 

Graymont subsidiaries have operations from New Brunswick to 

British Columbia. In addition to Graymont’s lime interests, Graymont 

Materials (located in upstate New York and the province of Quebec) 

provides construction stone, sand and gravel, asphalt products and 

ready mix concrete. 

Having been in the lime business for over 50 years, Graymont 

operates facilities on sites that have been in operation for up to 200 

years. The company is among the leaders in the industry in adding 

new, efficient plants and equipment and operates some of the most 

modern facilities on the continent. Since 1989, Graymont has added 

new, state-of-the-art processing, increasing capacity by close to two 

million tons, and will continue to add new capacity to meet market 

demand. 

Central to the company’s corporate philosophy is a long-term 

approach to business, built upon a solid commitment to sustainable 


growth through the active participation in responsible environmental, 

workplace, and operating practices. At the same time, it is proud 

of its past accomplishments which demonstrate Graymont’s commitment 

to responsible conduct of the business. 

In Montana, the Indian Creek plant is located near Townsend, just 

north of the Limestone Hills. Here, lime is produced in two 

coal/coke-fired preheater kilns. The plant is equipped with lime-sizing 

and storage facilities, allowing Graymont to produce and store a 

full range of bulk quicklime products, as well as a hydrator capable 

of producing 300 tons of hydrated lime per day. This plant supplies 

customers in Montana, as well as several other western states. 

The quarry is located on the south side of Indian Creek. High purity 

limestone from the quarry is trucked to the crushing plant, where 

it is sized and conveyed to a large storage pile adjacent to the preheater 

kilns. Bulk truck loading facilities are provided at the plant 

site, and rail loading is available from a 1,500 ton terminal located 

on the Montana Rail Link line in Townsend. 

Graymont continues to be of significant economic importance to 

the county, as it is the largest taxpayer in the county. In addition to 

providing many well paying jobs, Graymont purchases many goods 

and services locally, within the community. 

Many important lime markets are serviced by Graymont: 

Agriculture Asphalt 

Building Construction – Lime Application 

– Mortar – Plastering – Restoration – Whitewash

Environmental Remediation Flue Gas Desulphurization 

Food Glass Mining 

Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) 

Pulp and Paper Soda Ash Soil Stabilization 

Steel Sugar Water Treatment 

In addition to providing high quality products for its customers, 

Graymont provides engineering and technical support to facilitate 

customer applications in the following areas: 

Product Application: With technical and sales personnel skilled in 

solving customer problems, employees work with customers and 

recommend the proper products to meet their specific needs. This 

may include support on FGD projects, steel blends of high calcium 

and dolomitic products, the usage of lime in asphalt, or how to 

apply building products. 

Transportation: Having extensive expertise in transportation of 

products by truck, rail, or water, the company’s emphasis is on 

building reliable, cost efficient supply networks. An example of 

this commitment is the operation of a fleet of PCC delivery barges 

to support customers in the paper industry in the Northwest. 

Material Handling: To ensure efficient and economical operations, 

Graymont reviews and inspects customer material-handling facilities 

and design criteria. If requested, Graymont is prepared to 

own and operate such facilities at the customer’s site, including 

storage facilities. Graymont also provides portable slakers, silos, 

and unloading and material handling equipment for short term 

projects. Several customers lease this equipment until their project 

has been completed. 

Research and Development: Graymont can work with customers 

in R&D efforts for new product and process applications, and has 

equipment available to facilitate testing of new applications at a 

customer’s site. 

Graymont’s vision for the future involves supplying the ever 

increasing need for quicklime to clean up and protect our environment; 

eighty percent of the company’s product is used for environmental 

purposes. 

Mining is essential in every aspect of our lives, and Graymont is 

committed to working with the members of our government and 

community to help provide these resources in an environmentally 

safe manner. � 


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index to advertisers 

MONTANA MINING 2009 

AFFCO / Anaconda Foundry Fabrication Co., Inc. 38 

American Mining Insurance Company 27 

Bison Engineering, Inc. 51 

Brenntag Pacific, Inc. 48 

Bucyrus International, Inc. 53 

Cattron Group International IFC 

ChemGrout 57 

Chemical Montana Company 34 

Chevron / Fickler Oil Company, Inc. 39 

Dick Irvin, Inc. Transportation 54 

DYWIDAG-Systems International 29 

Ernest K. Lehmann & Associates of Montana, Inc. 38 

Ezzie’s Wholesale, Inc. 54 

Fenner Dunlop Americas 11 

Fickler Oil Company, Inc. 16 

Geometrics, Inc. 7 

Gibbs Associates 16 

Glacier HR Services, Inc. 53 

Golden Sunlight Mine 43 

Golder Associates Inc. 44 

Gough, Shanahan, Johnson & Waterman, PLLP 57 

Graymont Western US, Inc. 40 

GSE Lining Technology, Inc. 58 

GUNDLACH Equipment Corp. 35 

H&E Equipment Services 19 

Hardsteel Inc. 18 

Holland & Hart LLP 41 

Industrial Automation Consulting, Inc. 48 


Intermountain West Energy 25 

Interpass Industrial Inc. 51 

Interstate Powersystems 33 

Irwin Car & Equipment 49 

JBR Environmental Consultants 55 

Lacy & Ebeling Engineering, Inc. 9 

MDM Supply 59 

Mines Management, Inc. OBC 

Moore Oil, Inc. 44 

Nelson Brothers Mining Services, LLC 4 

Northwest Pipe Fittings, Inc. 44 

Okeefe Drilling Company 51 

Pennaluna & Company 50 

Richwood 13 

Rio Tinto Minerals IBC 

Rothenbuhler Engineering 15 

Ruen Drilling Incorporated 57 

Small Mine Development, L.L.C. 58 

Stillwater Mining Company 23 

Stone Raven Resources LLC 36 

Synergy Resource Solutions Inc. 50 

Tetra Tech 25 

The Whitmore Group 45 

Tricon Metals & Services, Inc. 5 

Westate Machinery Company 24 

Western Wyoming Community College 36 

Wholesale Mine Supply 37 

WWC Engineering 21

Minerals 

that make a difference 

Rio Tinto Minerals is a different 

kind of mining company. The 

talc we mine and process here 

in Montana ends up in products 

used around the world. Most 

people think talc is used to 

make body powder – and it is. 

But the talc we mine here also 

helps make paint last longer, 

crops grow better, cars run 

cleaner and papermaking a 

greener process. 

People 

who make a difference 

Our people make a difference 

too. We each do different jobs, 

but we all share a commitment 

to work safely and give back 

to the community. We also 

share one of the most beautiful 

ecosystems in the world with 

our neighbors – so our 

commitment to reducing our 

environmental footprint comes 

naturally. 

To find out more about how 

Rio Tinto Minerals makes a difference, 

visit www.riotintominerals.com

Advancing the 

MONTANORE 

Silver-Copper 

Project 

Lincoln County, Montana 

Mines Management, Inc. 

Innovative and Responsible 

Natural Resource Development 

Northwestern Montana boasts host 

to some of the world’s largest 

deposits of copper and silver. 

Mines Management, Inc., are 

committed to advancing the development 

of such projects in a 

manner consistent to further the 

interests of the local community 

and the long term preservation of 

the environment. 

Unearthing Life’s Key Ingredients 

Toronto Stock Exchange: MGT 

NYSE Alternext US: MGN

2009 Montana Mining - Montana Mining Association

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