Judge allows Sandfire’s Black Butte development to continue
Copper miner Sandfire Resources’ US subsidiary has welcomed the District Court’s decision to allow it to continue with its development of the Black Butte copper project, in Montana.
The court on Tuesday issued an order on remedies that would allow Phase 1 construction of Black Butte to be completed under the existing permit.
The order is in regard to the April 8, 2022 ruling in a lawsuit against the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Tintina Montana, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, challenging the Black Butte copper project.
The ruling found that the Montana DEQ had violated aspects of the Montana Environmental Policy Act and the Montana Metal Mine Reclamation Act in its grant of a mine operating permit for the project.
On July 1, 2022, plaintiffs and defendants filed a joint motion recommending a stipulated order for remedies.
By granting the stipulated motion, the Judge’s order will allow Tintina Montana to complete Phase 1 construction under the existing permit while it pursues an appeal of the April 8 order.
“Although we continue to strongly disagree with the court’s initial April 8 order, we are pleased with Judge Bidegaray’s decision today to allow us to continue with its development of the Black Butte copper project,” said senior VP Jerry Zieg.
“Sandfire America maintains that our Black Butte copper project is the best and most environmentally sound mining project ever proposed in Montana and that DEQ properly permitted all phases of the project.”
Sandfire is planning an underground operation at Black Butte, which is estimated to be the second-highest-grade copper deposit in the world.
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