Summer - Northern Plains Resource Council

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$Hydraulic fracturing - Northern Plains Resource Council$

1990 From The Plains Truth vault Eastern Montana viewed as waste dump Northern Plains begins working on waste disposal issues after a proposal is made to ship out-of-state garbage to Miles City on empty coal trains. Rancher’s leases pulled July/August 1991 Meridian Minerals Co. publicly announced it was canceling grazing leases held by Pete Tully, President of the Bull Mountain Landowners Association. The company, a Burlington Resources subsidiary, is pulling the railroad land-grant leases as retaliation for a letter Tully wrote expressing the group's opposition to a proposed underground coal mine in the Bull Mountains. Congress takes historic step toward 1872 reform June 1992 Victory! Northern Plains and our allies throughout the country celebrated an important and long-awaited victory when the U.S. House Interior Committee approved a strong, comprehensive reform of the 1872 Mining Law. In 120 years, no congressional committee has ever voted for reform this extensive. [The full House later rejected it.] Non-existent coal railroad proposes extension August 1992 Members turned out in force at public hearings in Lame Deer, Forsyth, Miles City, and Sheridan, Wyoming, to voice their opposition to the 41-mile expansion of the (still proposed) Tongue River Railroad from Ashland to Decker. Northern Plains submitted more than 1,000 letters from area residents opposing the TRR. ‘Mine All Mine’ mining claim staked October 1993 Sixty-five Northern Plains members staked a mining claim in an off-road motorbike course in the South Hills of Billings. The area was claimed in the name of "Mine All Mine Mining Co." to make a point: Until the 1872 Mining Law is reformed, multiple use of public lands will be in jeopardy. Protecting our water quality May 1994 t a state Department of Health hearing, Past Chair Richard Parks gave A a graphic demonstration of proposed changes to Water Quality Rules. He produced several jars of water and a glass pitcher. One jar was filled with Northern Plains 1990s timeline FOR 40 years protecti Northern Plains in 1990s challenge Jan. 1990: Paul Hawks is Chair May 1990: Beartooth Alliance in Cooke City affiliates with Northern Plains The The Plains Truth Spring Summer 2008 2012 Page Page 8 8 Northern Plains has never backed away from taking on corporate interests that continue to degrade our water quality, make life difficult for our family farmers and ranchers, and in general try to whittle away at the quality of life we share in Montana in order to make a quick buck. This was definitely true of Northern Plains in the 1990s. Northern Plains brought our cando attitude into a decade filled with challenges from many directions. Northern Plains worked with a nationwide campaign for reform of the 1872 Mining Law, a long-obsolete law enacted to encourage settlement of the West, but which has led to terrible damage to lands and watersheds in Montana and other states. While our efforts came close to achieving meaningful reform, hard-rock mining interests were able to muster enough political support to stave off reform. Members of Northern Plains and affiliate Beartooth Alliance fought the New World project, a proposed gold mine at high elevation just outside Yellowstone National Park. In 1996, President Clinton signed an agreement that bought out the mine, allocated money for mine cleanup, and facilitated a transfer of federal minerals to the state of Montana. The victory was bittersweet, however, for the minerals the state received are the Otter Creek coal tracts. Hard-rock mining in the ’90s included expansion plans for platinum and palladium mining in the Beartooth Mountains and a number of cyanide heap leach gold mines statewide. Along with affiliates Stillwater Protective Association and Cottonwood Resource Council, we watchdogged the Stillwater Mining Company as it expanded operations and opened a new mine south of Big Timber. Residents were concerned about traffic on rural roads, construction of mancamps, and pollution of the Stillwater and Boulder Rivers by mine tailings and other contaminants. Members organized and entered into negotiations with SMC which eventually resulted in the Good Neighbor Agreement. This legally binding document, now in its 12th year, is a model for how to include citizens in an ongoing basis in the operations of large corporations. Northern Plains co-led the campaign for the Clean Water Initiative in 1996. The March 1990: Stillwater Mining Company reveals plans for large-scale platinum mine south of Big Timber Sept.1990: Custer Resource Alliance affi liates with Northern Plains July 1990: 1300 Custer County residents sign petition against a proposed dump for Minnesota garbage May 1991: U.S. House subcommittee holds fi eld hearing at Eastern Montana College on reforming the 1872 Mining Law Feb. 1991: Members hold a "garbage drive" at the State Captiol seeking a bill to control siting of large garbage dumps Nov. 1991: Richard Parks elected Chair May 1992: Ross Electric proposes to burn PCBladen electric transformers in Baker Sept. 1992: Northern Plains forms Waste Task Force to address proposals to dump out-ofstate garbage in Eastern Montana Sept. 1992: State Health Board grants an exemption to Water Quality Act for proposed platinum/ paladium mine on East Boulder River. The fi rst Birney Barbecue, an annual fundraiser for Northern Plains’ Tongue River Railroad Task Force, was held at Irv Alderson’s Bones Brothers Ranch near Birney in 1992. Nov. 1992: In a memorable Northern Plains 20th anniversary speech, Paul Hawks describes Northern Plains as a family and "a community of common values and common purpose." May 1993: After 22 years in the Stapleton Building, Northern Plains and WORC move offices to historic Rex Hotel April 1993: Southeastern Montana Alliance (SEMA) in Carter and Fallon Counties affiliates with Northern Plains Nov. 1993: Tom Breitbach elected Chair Jan. 1994: U.S. EPA says Billings has worst annual concentrations of sulfur dioxide of 476 sites in the country 1994: Audubon magazine describes Richard Parks as "the inevitable man of Montana conservation" Nov. 1994: Farmer, poet, writer, and philospher Wendell Berry is Annual Meeting keynote speaker May 1994: Billings residents rally for clean air and send a message to the 1995 legislature to revoke the clean-air exemption for Billings March 19 More than inside Sta demand G veto seve industry-s bills that w Water Qu
ng montana’s future es mining pollution, ag monopolies In July 1999, farmers and ranchers block a lane of I-15 at Sweet Grass border crossing as part of the Campaign to Reclaim Rural America. measure was aimed at preventing and cleaning up water pollution from hardrock mines, but a six-to-one spending advantage by the mining industry defeated it at the polls. However, I-122 laid groundwork for the victory of I-137 two years later, a measure which banned new mines from using cyanide. Breaking the monopoly meatpackers have over ranchers was a continuing battle during the 1990s and still is today. Northern Plains members put a lot of time and energy into fighting for fair markets for livestock producers and against unfair foreign trade agreements. Northern Plains helped organize rallies at Montana ports of entry such as Sweet Grass and Raymond to protest the dumping of Canadian cattle on the U.S. market that depressed U.S. cattle prices. In five eastern Montana communities in December 1999, Northern Plains volunteers educated consumers about the economic crisis gripping family agriculture and the failure of “free trade” when they sold loaves of bread for just 3½ ¢ – the amount a farmer got from the retail sale of a one-pound loaf. It was part of a national Campaign to Reclaim Rural America. In 1990, a proposal was floated to fill empty coal trains with garbage from the Twin Cities and carry it to Montana for burial at a proposed mega-landfill at Miles City. This proposal was fought off, but Northern Plains had to challenge other dump and incineration proposals in the ’90s. Affiliate Yellowstone Valley Citizens Council led the fight to force polluters to reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide in Billings’ air and make it a more livable city. Northern Plains worked for the entire decade – as we had the decade before – to fight the ill-conceived Tongue River Railroad and keep it from cutting apart Montana ranchland. clear, pure spring water. The other jar was filled with a greenish-brown liquid identified as raw sewage. Richard carefully measured four parts of spring water and then added one part of sewage (20%). The clear water turned a sickening brown color. Although cups were offered, none of the Board of Health members took a drink. “This is what your rules would allow to happen to our groundwater,” Richard told the Board. Initiative’s failure sparks future success Spring-fall 1996 Northern Plains joins forces with other Montana conservation groups for I-122, the Clean Water Initiative. This measure against mining pollution lost at the polls, but laid the groundwork for the passage of I-137 in 1998. Billings Council reverses on clean-air exemption March 1996 Former Yellowstone Valley Citizens Council Chair and current City Council member, Pat Creighton, made good on her campaign promise by getting the Billings City Council to reverse its historic position and support the repeal of the infamous “Hannah Bill.” If this 1987 law is repealed by the legislature, Montana's sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) standards would once again be restored to Yellowstone County. Clinton stops proposed New World Mine August 1996 At Yellowstone National Park, President Clinton shook hands with Beartooth Alliance activist Sue Glidden, thus ending six years of citizens’ struggles to stop the New World Mine proposal. While applauding the action, Northern Plains Board members expressed reservations about a transfer of federal minerals to the state as part of the deal. [That transfer later turned out to be the Otter Creek coal tracts in the Tongue River Valley near Ashland.] Good Neighbor Agreement negotiations begin May 1999 Cottonwood Resource Council, Stillwater Protective Association, and Northern Plains formally met with representatives of Stillwater Mining Company to negotiate terms of a “good neighbor agreement.” The groups hope the result will be a legally binding written agreement between the parties for the life of mining operations. [Negotiations were contentious, but successful in 2000.] Beef Checkoff program mandatory 1999 Northern Plains takes part in national campaign for a referendum on the mandatory and misused Beef Checkoff program. Cattle producers are charged $1 per head sold, which goes to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. [This is still in effect.] May 1995: President Clinton visits Billings. Over breakfast, NP Chair Tom Breitbach bends President's ear about price fi xing by meatpackers 95: n 500 rally ate Capitol to Gov. Racicot eral mining sponsored weaken the uality Act Oct. 1995: Federal Judge Jack Shanstrom rules Crown Butte Mines is liable for water pollution at its New World Mine July 1995: Northern Plains sponsors a series of public meetings across the state about the monopolization of the meatpacking industry Nov. 1995: Julia Page elected Chair Nov. 1995: CBS Evening News interviews Lyle Quick, member and Circle farmer, about meatpacker monopoly, an ongoing Northern Plains campaign June 1996: Dawson Resource Council works to protect Makoshika State Park from oil development Jan. 1996: Northern Plains uses email for fi rst time to communicate with members July 1996: Carbon County Resource Council of Red Lodge affiliates with Northern Plains Aug. 1996: President Clinton signs deal to stop New World Mine outside Yellowstone Park Sept. 1997: Ross Management cancels plans to incinerate PCBtainted electrical equipment in Baker Sept. 1996: Surface Transportation Board OKs extension of the proposed Tongue River Railroad from Ashland to Decker The Plains Truth Winter Summer 2009 2012 Page Page 9 9 Nov. 1997: Jerry Sikorski elected Chair Oct. 1997: Montana Supreme Court rules in favor of Northern Plains, cancels the permit for the Montco Mine Nov. 1998: Voters approve I-137, a ban on new open-pit gold and silver mines that use cyanide leaching April 1998: Bighorn Resource Council in Hardin affiliates with Northern Plains July 1999: Members help organize rally at Sweet Grass border crossing as part of the Campaign to Reclaim Rural America May 1999: Good Neighbor Agreement negotiations begin Nov. 1999: Dena Hoff elected Chair – Compiled by Larry Winslow
Page 1 and 2: For 40 Years Protecting Montana’s
Page 3 and 4: people of the plains Commitment to
Page 5 and 6: What would you do if 40-50 addition
Page 7: land and water Momentum builds for
Page 11 and 12: 2012 Election Vote No on Referendu
Page 13 and 14: Much work remains on Farm Bill: Big
Page 15 and 16: council roundup GNA members study l

Summer - Northern Plains Resource Council

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